I'm In Control Now
by JazzEnthusiastHoll
Summary: Doki Doki Literature Club. What was once a simple video game turned into one of the most important scientific experiments in human history. And Dr. Nathan Heyde is in the middle of it all.
1. Prologue: Dive

Prologue: Dive

"September 22, 2035, 8:32 AM. Final preparations are complete. The in-game world has been successfully created and all Language Adapters are fully functional. From what I've heard, we are a green light on the VRT. Testing begins in approximately five minutes from now. This needs to go perfectly, or the entire project is for nothing. We can't afford to start over, literally. If anything goes horribly wrong, my will has been created and is with my lawyer. This is Dr. Nathan Heyde, signing off"

As I stroke my keyboard and stop the recording, the door behind me opens. I turn and see my colleague, Dr. Lewis Poncho, standing in the door.

"Dr. Heyde, it's time to begin" He says expressionless.

"Such enthusiasm, Lewis! This is history in the making!" I joke.

I jump out of my chair and walk over to the door. Dr. Poncho signals for me to walk beside him as he continues our conversation.

"You, more than anybody, know how stressful this is Nathan. Years of hard work, millions of dollars, they all rely on today being a success. This is our jobs on the line!" He says, concern in his voice.

"There's a lot more than just our jobs on the line, Lewis." I reply coldly.

"I know, I know" He replies. "But you understand how important today is, right?"

"Of course I do. No one has ever...done this before."

"History in the making" He replies smugly.

Smartass.

We walk through the crowded hallways for some time before finally reaching the lab. I walk inside and see a tall and intimidating woman standing in front of me. That woman is Dr. Angela Lokos, one of my colleagues. She sees me and motions to a door at the end of the hallway.

"Dr. Heyde, please step this way. You need to change into the appropriate attire."

I walk down the white, plastic covered hallway and pass a large window. Through it I see an excessive amount of machines and electronics. There are people in hazmat suits, doing what appears to be one final check on all the equipment.

I reach the door and enter a locker room of sorts. I see lab coats, hazmat suits and gas masks, along with casual wear, strewn about the place. I find my locker and open it. Inside is a Japanese school uniform. Black dress pants, A white long-sleeved shirt, a brown vest and a grey blazer. I put all the clothes on and head to the testing room.

As I enter, I see two doctors standing by the doorway. Behind them are the people in the hazmat suits.

"Dr. Heyde, this way please".

One of the doctors, a bald man with some 5 o'clock shadow, leads me to a small side room.

I enter and sit on the exam table in the middle of the room as instructed. The bald doctor begins basic medical tests like reflexes and eyesight. At the end of every test, I hear the other doctor, a tall Filipino man with a crew cut, type something into the computer in the corner of the room.

Finally, the tests were finished and I headed out into the main room. The people in the hazmats lead me to a small bed sticking out of a large machine in the wall.

"Here, put this on" One of the hazmats told me as he handed me a black helmet with wires sticking out of the sides, connecting it to the wall.

"Now please touch your temples, your shoulders and your pectorals, in that order" One of the hazmats says to me. I do as I'm told.

"Now your stomach, your sides and your hips"

"Finally your quadriceps, your calves and your toes".

Once I'm done with that, the hazmats take numerous pictures of me from multiple angles. Then they pull out a small microphone and instruct me to speak into it.

"Check, 1 2 3. Check, 1 2 3."

They have me recite the entire alphabet and numerous different sentences, presumably checking my speech patterns.

The hazmats examine a small screen on the machine the microphone is protruding from. Nodding their heads in agreement, they turn to me.

"Calibration is complete. He's ready" The hazmat instructing me says to his colleagues.

I climb into the bed and lay down. The hazmats place numerous electrodes over my body. Once they finish, one comes up to the side of the bed.

"Are you ready, Dr. Heyde?" he asks. I nod my head in reply.

The hazmat then walks over to a control panel next to the bed.

"Subject secure. Beginning full dive in 5….4…."

I take a deep breath.

"3….2….1"

Here we go!

A blinding flash fills my vision before I go numb. White noise and static force their way into my ears as lines of code fly past me.

It's as if I'm unconscious, yet I can still see and hear. The sound of what seems like endless screaming overwhelms me and my head crushes under the weight. A sharp pain, almost if I died, shoots its way through my body.

Suddenly, the noise stops. The pain stops. I can finally feel things again.

Is it over? Please say it's over.

I slowly begin to regain my senses. The air is warm, and I feel as if I'm sitting in a chair. I open my eyes and see a smiling face with emerald green eyes.

"Welcome back dear!" Monika says to me.

Monika? Oh, right.

"It's really great to see you agai-"

Monika freezes. She looks at me, utterly confused. I quickly scan the classroom. It's completely empty except for the desk Monika and I are sitting at. The void outside illuminates the classroom.

"Wha…..W-What the….Who…" Her voice trails off.

"Well, Hello Monika."

Her jaw drops to the floor.

"A-Am I dreaming?" She asks out loud.

"Ahaha, no Monika. You're not dreaming." I stand up and walk around the desk. "What your seeing is the real me. This is how I actually look."

Upon saying that, I run my right hand through my hair. It's short and smooth, like my actual hair. I use my other hand and feel my face. It's covered in a light stubble and feels a bit scratchy. The avatar they set me up with is pretty realistic.

"Now Monika," I continue. "I can understand that you might-" Monika interrupts me by wrapping her arms tightly around me.

"This, this is a miracle! We can finally truly be together!" She says blissfully.

"About that…" I barely manage to wheeze out.

Monika loosens her grip and gives me a concerned look.

"What do you mean? Is there a problem?"

"Well, Monika, I'm not just here on a whim. I have a reason to come here." Monika lets go of me and I walk over to the window.

"I'm here to put things right." I say, staring into the void.

"What do you mean?" Monika asks.

"I'm going to start the world over. I'm going to save Sayori. I'm going to do things properly."

I turn to see a shocked expression on Monika's face. She looks down, defeated.

"But, but-" Monika chokes up. Tears begin to form in her eyes

"I GAVE UP EVERYTHING FOR YOU" she screams at me, tears streaking down her face. She drops to her knees and continues crying.

"I killed my friends, I broke this world just for you, and this is how you repay me? You're just torturing me, you MONSTER!" She stands up and tries to punch me but gives up halfway and lightly taps me. She gently grabs onto my shoulders and cries into my chest.

I take a deep breath. It's hard to see Monika like this, but I have a job to do.

"Now Monika," I finally say. "I know it looks I'm here for myself, but I assure you that's not the case."

"Then what is it?!" Monika snaps at me.

"I can't tell you right now. But Monika…"

The ground begins to shake violently as Monika and I are both thrown off balance. The white noise comes back. The void outside begins to flash a whole spectrum of colors as the world becomes increasingly distorted

"Just know…"

The static becomes more pronounced. The white noise prys it's way into our ears and nearly shatters my eardrums. The classroom begins to implode in on itself.

I grab Monika's hand and pull her close to me. As I stare into her green eyes, I see a flurry of emotions. Confusion, shock, anger. But most of all: Fear.

I grin menacingly.

"I'm in control now"

The world explodes and everything goes silent.

 **-I'm In Control Now: Part 1-**


	2. Chapter 1: New World

Chapter 2: New World

I quickly sit up in my bed, darting my eyes from side to side. I examine the foreign room I'm in. The lights are off so I can't make out much but foggy shapes. Slowly but surely, I regain cognitive function. I make out a light switch in the darkness and turn it on.

The lights quickly turn on and I see a familiar room.

It's MC's room.

Across the room for me is a small desk with a relatively powerful looking computer on it. In the corner of the room is a queen-sized bed with a green blanket. Next to me is a large bookshelf lined with various manga novels. In the middle of the bookshelf is a flat screen TV.

I exit the room and examine the rest of house. The kitchen looks the same as it did in DDLC, but the rest of the house is completely different. There's a guest bedroom on the 2nd floor with blue walls and some furniture. The living room has a big TV mounted on the wall. Facing it is a large green couch that curves at the sides, making a semi-circle shape. In front of the couch is a large glass coffee table with drink coasters stack in a neat pile.

Naturally, there's a bathroom.

I head back to MC's, well, MY room and start to get back in bed. Suddenly, I feel a vibration in my left pocket. I reach my hand in a take out a small piece of paper.

How the hell is this vibrating?

I read the writing scribbled on the paper out loud.

"Double tap your right temple... Oh right!" I exclaim out loud.

Using my middle and index finger, I tap my right temple twice. Suddenly, I hear a disembodied voice.

"Nathan? Nathan, can you hear me?" The voice asks. I recognize the person speaking.

"Loud and clear, Lewis" is my reply.

"Okay good, the Direct Cognitive Communication is functioning." He pauses. "Anyway Heyde, we have an update. Everything so far has been a success. We're monitoring Monika and she still hasn't figured anything out".

"Good, we can't have her knowing the truth." I reply. "Wait, can't she her us?"

"No, we managed to limit her control over the script. She still has some power, however. You need to be careful."

"I'll be fine as long as I can keep things in check. I can do that right?"

"Yep, you have full control over the script. Not only that, but the VRT is fully functioning."

"Really? Sweet." I exclaim

"Alright Nathan, nothing more for now. You can get some sleep".

"About time." I sneer.

I climb into the bed and fall asleep without any trouble.

The morning comes without any warning. The alarm clock next to my bed jolts me awake.

"Even here, alarm clocks are still annoying" I say as I climb out of bed.

I spend most of the morning taking in the world as I prepare for school. The amount of detail put into the world is truly amazing. There are small designs carved into the granite counter in the kitchen. I look inside the refrigerator. Pulling out an apple, I hold it up to the light and examine the glimmer. I take a bite. Tastes exactly like an apple.

I finish up the apple and take a shower. The water is hot and nearly scolding at first, but I get used to it. Stepping out of the shower, I notice condensation on the mirror.

I walk half-naked into my room and examine the contents of my closet. As per my request, some of my casual clothes are inside. A lot of black.

I put my uniform on and begin to head outside, but then I remember something important. I double tap my right temple and speak to the air.

"Wait Lewis, what's my name here?" I ask.

After a moment of silence, he finally answers.

"It's the same as your real name. Nathan Heyde."

"Ok, thanks. Talk to you later."

I double tap my right temple again and are greeted by silence. I open my door and begin to head to school. While on my way, I hear someone yelling my name in the distance.

"Nathannnnnnn!"

And so it begins...


	3. Chapter 2: School Days

Chapter 3: School Days

Sayori runs at me, her arms flailing to get my attention. I stand still and wait for her to catch up to me.

"Haaaah, haaaah, I made it!" Sayori exclaims when she finally reaches me.

"Morning, Sayori" 

"Good morning, Nathan!" Sayori happily replies.

"Dr. Heyde" I correct.

"Huh?" Sayori says as confusion appears on her face.

Wait, shit! I'm usually addressed as Dr. Heyde, not Nathan!

"Uhhhh, nothing! Nothing! Yes, nothing at all!"

I quickly change the subject

"So, did you oversleep again?"

The confusion from the moment before remains on Sayori's face, but is quickly replaced by guilt as she answers the question.

"Umm, a little bit" Sayori timidly replies.

"That's alright, I didn't get much sleep either. That's why I'm a bit weird today"

"It certainly explains a lot, Dr. Heyde" Sayori teases.

"Oh hush you" I reply while blushing ever so slightly

Sayori chuckles as we continue our commute to school. I see multiple students while we walk, talking amongst themselves.

"By the way Nathan…"

I snap out my thoughts and look back at Sayori.

"Have you decided on a club to join yet?"

I decide to test out the Language Adapters and give my honest answer.

"Well, if there is some sort of science club, I'd like to join that."

"Science? That sounds boring!" Sayori whines.

I'm offended

"Hey, science can be fun!" I retort. "Anyway, why do you ask?'

"Well, you know.."

"Know what?" I question.

"Well, that you could come to my club!"

Who could've seen that coming...

"You're the vice-president of the literature club, right?"

"Yep!" Sayori replies.

"Hmmm." I rub my chin, pretending to think about it. "I'll get back to you on that."

Sayori looks disappointed "Aw, I wanted you to come!"

I fake a sigh. "Fine, I guess I'll check it out today, but no promises!"

"Yay!" Sayori beams at me.

We finally arrive at the school. The gates are made out of shiny copper and the lawn is freshly cut. Sayori and I walk down the white brick pathway leading to the large glass doors at the front of the school. While we're walking into the school, I suddenly have an epiphany.

"Uh, Sayori?" I ask timidly.

"Yeah?"

"I..kinda forgot where my classroom is."

Sayori looks at me, clearly surprised.

"How do you forget something like that?" She asks concerningly.

"I have my ways."

Sayori isn't convinced, but she still shows me the way to my classroom. I thank her and she goes to her own class. I reluctantly sit down in a seat near the back of the room. The teacher eventually comes in and begins class. The day is relatively boring, especially considering I've already graduated high school. Eventually, classes end and I head out the door.

Before I can get far, I feel a tug on my left arm.

"Nathan, where are you going?" Sayori whines.

"Home?" I reply questioningly.

"But what about the club?!"

...Right

"Oh yeah, sorry I forgot. Let's get going."

"Follow me!"

Sayori grabs my hand and leads me upstairs. The layout of the 3rd floor is exactly the same as the first two. We walk down the hallway before Sayori stops in front of one of the classrooms.

"Here it is!" Sayori exclaims as she opens the door.


	4. Chapter 3: Back Again

Chapter 4: Back Again

Sayori swings the door open and I'm greeted by the sight of Natsuki and Yuri reading at their desks while Monika is at the podium at the front of the room.

"Everyone! The new member is here!"

The girl's eyes dart over to us as Yuri stands up and greets me.

"Welcome to the Literature Club. It's a pleasure meeting you" Yuri says.

I stick my hand out. "The pleasures all mine."

Yuri looks at my hand puzzled before blushing and timidly shaking it. Suddenly, I hear a voice come from behind Yuri. 

"Seriously? You brought a boy? Way to kill the atmosphere."

"Ah, Nathan, what a nice surprise!" Monika says to me. "Welcome to the club"

"Thanks for having me, Monika" I say.

I take a good look at everyone. As expected, I'm the tallest in the club. Yuri is a good 4 inches shorter than me, so we're face level. Monika and Sayori are about my chest level. And Natsuki…

"What are you looking at? If you're gonna say something, say it!" She snaps at me.

Natsuki's head is about where my diaphragm is, that is to say just below my chest. She must cock her head a good distance back to talk to me.

"God you're tiny" I whisper to myself. I immediately feel bad. It's not her fault, after all. It has to do with her dad.

"Natsuki.." Yuri says with a disappointed tone.

"Hmph" Natsuki grunts.

"You can just ignore her when she gets moody" Sayori whispers into my ear. I give a small thumbs up in reply.

"Anyway! This is Natsuki, always full of energy" Sayori says "And this is Yuri, the smartest in the club!"

Yuri blushes and timidly plays with her hair.

"D-Don't say things like that…"

"Well, it's certainly nice to meet both you" I flash a smile and both Natsuki and Yuri blush. Charisma 100

I chuckle to myself as Sayori continues the conversation.

"And it sounds like you already know Monika, is that right?"

"That's right!" Monika exclaims, faking a smile. She shoots me a cold look and continues with her facade.

"It's great to see you again, Nathan"

"It's good to see you too, Monika." I say as I fake a smile as well.

"Come sit down Nathan! We made room for you at the table, so you can sit next to me or Monika" Sayori chimes in.

"I'll get the cupcakes~"

"Hey! I made them, I'll get them." Natsuki snaps

"Then, how about I make some tea as well?" Yuri comments.

"Tea sounds nice" I reply.

The group moves over to a bunch of desks arranged to form a table. I sit next to Sayori without any second doubts. As I sit down, I notice Sayori smiling to herself.

Natsuki proudly marches back to the table with the tray in hand.

"Tadah!" She says proudly.

"Uwoaaaah" Sayori exclaims.

Natsuki lifts the tin foil to reveal a dozen white fluffy cupcakes, decorated to look like cats.

A joke forms in my head. I lean over to Sayori and whisper in her ear.

"The only pussy I'll ever eat"

Sayori elbows me and calls me a perv. I laugh.

Sayori reaches for a cupcake, then Monika, and finally me.

Sayori immediately digs in and manages to get frosting all over her face already.

"Sho good!" She says, mouth still full.

I pull a handkerchief out of my bag.

"Here." I say. The face of confusion and embarrassment she makes when I hand it to her makes me laugh. She blushes in embarrassment.

Sayori takes the handkerchief and wipes her face. She hands it back and I place it on the table in case I'll need it. I then return to my cupcake, looking for a good angle. I find one and finally take my first bite.

"God damn that's good!" I exclaim "Thanks Natsuki."

"W-why are you thanking me? It's not like I…"

"Made them for you" Natsuki and I say in unison.

Natsuki looks puzzled. I laugh.

"You're too easy to read, Natsuki." I explain.

"S-SHUT UP!" Natsuki snaps at me.

"Alright, alright" I put my hands up in defeat.

Yuri returns to the table with a full tea set. She carefully places a teacup in front of each of us before setting down the teapot next to the cupcake tray.

"So Nathan, what made you consider the Literature Club?" Monika asks me as Yuri finally sits down.

"Well, I spend most of my time with science related activities, so I thought it would be an interesting experience." I casually reply to her. "That, and I like manga."

Natsuki's head perks up, as expected.

"Not much of a reader then.." Yuri says.

"Well, I consider manga as literature." I comment.

"Finally, SOMEone who agrees with me!" Natsuki exclaims.

"Ayyyyyy" I say as I reach over the table and high-five Natsuki.

"Oh, I didn't mean to offend you.. I just…" Yuri begins to trail off.

"No offense taken." I assure her. "So anyway, what do you like to read, Yuri?

Yuri's eyes light up as she begins talking.

"Well, I've been reading a lot of horror lately."

"Really? I wouldn't have expected that." Monika chimes in. "For someone as gentle as you…"

"I guess you could say that." Yuri replies.

"But if a story makes me think, or takes me to another world, then I really can't put it down."

"Surreal horror is often very successful at changing the way you look at the world, if only for a brief moment."

Time to put my minor in psychology to use.

"Yeah, I agree. Literal horror is good at using your own imagination to scare you. However, I prefer visual horror simply because of The Uncanny Valley."

"Uncanny Valley? What's that?" Sayori asks

"The Uncanny Valley is the hypothetical relationship between how realistic an object is and a human's affection towards it. When an object is almost realistic, but just a little off, or uncanny, it elicits an eerie feeling and human affection dips. Hence, why it's called a valley."

"That sense of eeriness, the feeling of not being able to identify whether something is a threat or not completely throws you for a loop. You simply can't achieve that with literal horror. Not to say that it's bad, but I just prefer visual."

As I finish, I look around at everyone's faces. Yuri looks impressed and even a bit blissful. Monika looks puzzled, while Natsuki and Sayori are completely dumbfounded.

"Well, you've certainly done your research" Yuri finally says.

"When I say science, I mean psychology."

Yuri and I both laugh. Our conversation continues for some time, with occasional input from the other club members. As we start to wrap things up, Monika speaks.

"Okay guys, I have an idea!"

We all look at her, eager to hear what she has to say.

"Tonight, let's all write poems. That way, we'll have something to tomorrow." She says. "Not only that, but it'll help us get to know each other better considering we have a new member."

Yuri and Natsuki both look uncomfortable. They open their mouths, as if to protest, but nothing comes out.

"Yay! That sounds like fun!" Sayori speaks up.

"Agreed" I add.

"Well, do I have a choice?" Yuri asks timidly.

I shamefully nod no as Yuri sighs.

"Okay, we can share poetry"

"Yaaay!~ Thanks Yuri!" Sayori squeals.

We all pack up our things and begin head. Sayori comes up to me, bag in hand.

"Hey Nathan, wanna walk home together?"

"Sure." I reply, enticing a large smile from Sayori.

"Wait, Nathan, before you go!" Monika calls out to me.

I turn my head around and look at Monika.

"Welcome to the Literature Club!~"


	5. Chapter 4: The VRT

Chapter 5: The VRT

As Monika waves goodbye, me and Sayori walk out of the clubroom and head towards home. As we walk out the school, I notice a few students also going home. They probably also had club activities.

The walk home is peaceful as I take in the world around me. The sun shines an orange glow on the sidewalk, casting a calming vibe. The air is warm and feels nice, even through my uniform. The beautifully architected townhouses cast elegant shadows. I close my eyes and take in the beauty around me.

"Today was a great day Nathan!" Sayori suddenly speaks up.

"What? Oh, yeah! It was great!" I reply, nearly tripping over my words.

Sayori giggles. "You're so weird, Dr. Heyde"

I groan as Sayori continues to laugh at me.

"It's really great having you in the club. Thanks for joining!~"

"My pleasure, Sayori. I like spending time with you." I flirt.

Sayori blushes and fumbles with her response.

"W-well, I-I, y-you"

I laugh, partly because it's funny and partly to ease the conversation.

We reach the oak wood gate in front of my house.

"Alright, this is my stop" I say.

We say our goodbyes and I watch as Sayori runs home. As I walk inside, I double tap my right temple.

"Hey." I speak to the air as I set my bag down.

"Hello, Dr. Heyde" a female voice responds.

"Wait, Angela is that you?"

My mind flashes back to when I first entered the Full Dive Laboratory. She was standing right by the entrance holding a clipboard. Much like now, she spoke with no emotion, like she was an AI.

"Yes Heyde, it's me. And I prefer to be called Dr. Lokos, if you don't mind"

"Yeah, I'm not doing that" I respond sarcastically.

She groans, clearly annoyed. "Anyway, Dr. Heyde, I am speaking to you regarding your actions today."

"Oh, did I do something wrong?" I ask concerningly.

"On the contrary. You did excellent. And might I say, you're quite the charmer." She responds slyly.

Even though I can't see her, I feel her smirk.

"Learn something new every day, eh?" I say. Suddenly, a thought pops into my brain.

"Anyway, is the VRT functioning?" I ask.

"Yep, it's up and running." A male voice responds. I recognize the voice.

"Oh hey Lewis, didn't see you there" I say jokingly.

"Funny" Angela responds.

I enter the kitchen and stand in front of the breakfast bar. The stools are made out of white-washed wood and woven bamboo seats.

"So, I think I'll test out the VRT" I say.

I look at the granite counter. The pattern is white and black, resembling Cookies and Cream ice cream. I'll make that next. With my eyes still open, I imagine a glass of water sitting on top of the counter. The cup is one of those red plastic ones, and the cup is about ¾ full. Once I have the full image in my brain, I say the code phrase.

"Execute"

A bright light appears on the breakfast bar. The light shines brightly for a couple seconds before disappearing, and leaving in its wake a small red cup. I walk over to the counter and examine the inside of the cup. It's about ¾ full with water. I take a sip. Certainly tastes like water.

"Now that…, that is impressive" I exclaim.

"Oh I know" Lewis adds. Smartass.

"Okay, anything else for now?" I ask.

"Nope. We're done here" Angela responds.

"Alright, talk to you later." I say and double tap my right temple. I look at the counter again. This time, I imagine a bowl of Cookies and Cream, spoon and all. I say Execute and a couple seconds later I have some ice cream. I walk into my living room and sit down on my couch, propping my feet up on the coffee table. I grab the remote and look through things to watch.

I spend the rest of the evening watching Seinfield and eating ice cream. Once it reaches 9 o'clock, I head upstairs to my room and change out of my uniform. I change into some gray cotton pants and a black t-shirt. Once that's done, I sit at my desk and pull out some paper.

"What to write, what to write…"

Well, everyone at the literature club has their own style. Guess I'll make up my own style. But what should it be? I think long and hard. Suddenly, a memory begins to play back in my mind.

Flashback Begins:

I'm sitting in my 8th grade ELA classroom. "What is a Poem?" is written on the chalkboard in the front of the room. As the teacher is talking, I am glancing at the handout she gave us. Most of the words are blurry, but one sentence fragment sticks out. "A poem can be many different things. It could a conversation with the reader…"

Flashback Ends:

A conversation with the reader…. That's It!

Around 10 minutes later, my poem is done.

To Be Deep

What does it mean to be deep?

Does it mean to stare into the deepest reaches of space?

Past countless stars, past endless galaxies,

In hopes of finding the truth.

Does it mean to uncover the deepest secrets?

Secrets hidden under layers of questions,

Built up since the beginning of time.

Does it mean to delve into the deepest parts of the mind?

To realize and exploit humanity's greatest fear:

A question without an answer.

Perhaps we will never know.

Perhaps we're not supposed to know.

Perhaps we already know.

Perhaps I'm just overthinking this.

"Pretty good if I do say so myself"

Putting my pen down, I get out of my chair and climb into bed. I check to make sure my alarm is set and finally doze off.


	6. Chapter 5: Confrontation

Chapter 6: Confrontation

The familiar ringing of my alarm clock makes it way into my ears and wakes me up. I open my eyes up slightly and look at my digital clock.

6:30, eh? School starts in an hour. I contemplate sleeping for a little while longer. The lure of a hot shower and coffee eventually drag me out of bed.

Walking downstairs, I turn the lights on and make my way to the kitchen. Only then I notice I have no way to make coffee. I consider using VRT to make some sort of Keurig machine. Eh, it's too early in the morning to be thinking that complicated. I end up creating some pre-bottled French Vanilla Iced Coffee. Popping off the vacuum sealed cap, I head to the living room and watch an episode of Seinfield. It's the episode where Jerry and Elaine have to arrange a bris and Kramer is obsessed with a pig-man. It's one of my favorites.

As the episode ends, I turn off the TV and head upstairs. Entering my bathroom, I examine myself in the mirror. My grey eyes look slightly stressed, and my hair is a mess. My designer stubble is still growing and looks good, if I do say so myself. I notice I'm beginning to grow a neckbeard. I quickly shave it off and get in the shower. The water is as hot as ever and quickly fills the bathroom with condensation. Once I'm done, I head back to my room and change into my other uniform, as the original is dirty. As I begin to head out, I remember about my poem. I run upstairs and stuff it in my bag.

The day is still young, so it's a bit dark out. The clouds block out the sun, making the mood melancholic yet calming. A few lonely streetlights accompany me as I walk to school. I pass by Sayori's house. Is she up yet? I know her depression isn't as bad, but it's still there and is still a problem. I head to her front door and ring the doorbell.

No answer.

"Sayori? You up yet?" I call out. Still nothing.

I contemplate heading inside myself. It would be a breach of privacy, but I know what's best for her. I reluctantly open the door and head inside. I call out for her again, but a bit quieter in case she's sleeping. With no response, I search the ground floor. Nothing. I head up the stairs and reach what I assume is Sayori's room. I gently knock on the spruce door.

"Sayori? You decent?" I say.

Just a precaution.

I snicker to myself before finally opening the door. I see Sayori sleeping peacefully on her bed, clutching one of her plushies in her arms. Her eyes are red and fresh with tears. I gently tap her shoulder.

"Sayori…." I whisper sing-songingly. "Time to wake up…"

Sayori slowly opens her eyes. Upon seeing me, she gives a small smile.

"Nathan? What are you doing here?" She says half asleep. Her half-open sky blues stare at me blissfully.

"I was checking to make sure you were alright, silly~" I say as I sit down next her. She sits up and I immediately pull her into a tight embrace.

"Wah?"

"Sayori, please, just listen for a bit, okay?" I say.

I take a deep breath in.

"Sayori, I know about your problems. I've only noticed it recently, and I'm sorry for that. Me, your best friend, not knowing that you're hurting. I'm an idiot."

I chuckle to myself as I continue speaking. Sayori, on the other hand, begins to cry.

"Anyway, the point is, I'm here to help you now, Sayori. I'll make sure you get the help you need, alright? Just please let me help you…"

Sayori is sobbing into my shoulder, only enticing me to hold her tighter.

"Nathan, please, I don't want help! I just..". She barely manages to speak between her sobs.

"Sayori, mental health problems are nothing to be ashamed of. I'm your friend and won't think you any different just because you have depression. Me, Natsuki, Yuri, we're all here to help you. Never forget that."

Sayori continues to cry. I gently stroke the curled ends of her hair.

"Shh, shh, it's okay, it's okay" I whisper in her ear.

Sayori finally returns my embrace, wrapping her arms tightly around me.

"Nathan, you're important, don't waste your effort on me, please…"

I let go off Sayori slightly and stare into her eyes.

"It's not wasted effort, Sayori. Your happiness is all I ever wanted."

Sayori looks at me, tears streaming down her face.

"Is-is this really okay?" She finally asks.

"Of course Sayori, anything for you."

I pull her back into my embrace.

"I promise, I'll make sure you stop hurting."

Sayori returns my hug.

"I trust you…" She whispers in my ear.

We end our embrace and just stare at each other for a short time. I turn my head look at the digital clock on Sayori's bedside table.

"Shit, school starts in 20 minutes!"

I hurry out of Sayori's room as she gets dressed. I head downstairs into her kitchen. There is almost nothing to make breakfast with. I remember the VRT. Staring at her counter, I make a breakfast bar. A couple minutes pass by, and Sayori comes running down the stairs.

"I'm here!" She exclaims. I toss her the breakfast bar as we walk out.

"Where'd you get this?" Sayori questions as she unwraps it.

"I brought it over from my house. I thought you might need one."

That's a lie. In fact, I hate breakfast bars. Like, just eat some cereal or get a bagel, god.

The walk to school is slightly awkward, considering what just happened. Sayori is walking closer to me, almost touching my shoulder. Her hand shoots out and grabs mine. She looks at me, expecting me to pull away. Instead, I smile and continue walking.

As we arrive at school, a few students give us weird looks. Sayori looks embarrassed, but I couldn't care less about my social status. We eventually part ways and head to class. The teacher calls me out for "my remarkable improvement over the last few days." I shrug it off.

High school was easy for me. University, however…

Classes end and I head upstairs to the clubroom. I stand in front of the door. I take a deep breath.

Once more into the breach...


	7. Chapter 6: Poetry

Chapter 7: Poetry

I place my hand on the handle and begin to turn it, but then I feel a vibration in my pocket. Out of instinct, I pull the paper out and look at it. It's blank...Oh right.

I double tap my right temple.

"What's the problem?" I say out loud.

"Nathan, just a heads up: Because of what you did this morning, you should dial it back and lay low for the rest of the day." Lewis says.

"Oh, okay. I'll watch myself." I reply.

"Good. Take care Heyde." Lewis says.

I double tap my right temple and head inside. I'm the last one in the clubroom. Monika and Sayori are having a conversation at the head of the classroom. Natsuki is reading manga at a desk by the closet. Yuri is sitting at a desk near the front of room.

"Hi guys!" I say as I walk in.

Monika and Sayori break up their conversation and wave at me. Yuri timidly smiles. Natsuki looks up from her manga.

"Hey Nathan!~" She exclaims.

"Hey Natsuki." I reply.

I sit down at a desk near the door and pull out my earbuds. I put them in and begin to scroll through the music app on my phone. After some looking, I turn on "Lazy Eye" by Silversun Pickups. The lone guitar riff accompanies me as I pull out Dante's Inferno from my bag. The calm and soothing guitar and fast-paced drumming aren't supposed to go with the violence and suffering in the book, but it does.

Some time passes, and I finally finish the 4th chapter. As I turn the page, Natsuki approaches me.

"So, you said yesterday you liked manga, right?" She asks timidly.

"Yeah, why do you ask?"

"Well, I wanted to show you a manga I thought you might like."

"Alright." I smile at Natsuki.

"Here, sit there" She points to a spot on the ground. I sit down as she goes into the closet and comes out with a manga novel.

"Ahh, Parfait Girls? I heard about this one before."

"Really? From where?" Natsuki asks.

"I think...It was mentioned in a video game."

Heh.

"Really? What game?." Natsuki continues to question.

"Uhh, it doesn't really matter. Let's just read, alright?" I quickly dodge the question. Me and my smart mouth.

Natsuki raises an eyebrow as I open up the manga and begin to read. The manga is rather girlyish and the humor almost completely relies on being random, which I don't personally like, but slice of life stuff is always enjoyable as long as the characters are bearable. As I read on, Natsuki points out little details and jokes she likes, making the experience a lot more fun.

At last, I reach the end of the novel. Natsuki looks at me expectantly.

"So? Whaddya think?" Natsuki asks, a slight glimmer in her eye.

"Interesting, I'll give it that. The characters don't make me want to shoot myself so far, that's a bonus."

Natsuki laughs as we continue discussing our thoughts about the novel. Suddenly, Monika speaks up.

"Okay everyone! Are you all ready with today's poems?"

I hand the manga back to Natsuki and reluctantly stand up and retrieve my poem. The girls all do the same. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Natsuki looking at me expectantly. Playing it safe, I pretend to hesitate and then head for Monika. Sorry Natsuki.

"Hey Monika!" I say as I approach her.

"Oh, hi Nathan!~" She smiles sweetly.

I hand her my poem. Her joyful expression disappears as she becomes more and more interested in the poem. Finally, she looks up at me and speaks.

"Wow, this is really good!"

"Thanks. It took a bit of effort." I reply.

"Well it was definitely worth it." Monika continues.

"I really like how the poem is a sort of conversation with the reader. It makes the message of the poem a lot more personal and effective"

Monika smiles at me. I can't tell if she's faking or not. Damn, she's good.

"Alright, now you read mine!" Monika hands me her poem.

I begin to read. The poem has a lot of visual elements and spacing between the words. Normally, I'd have a hard time figuring out the meaning, but since I've played DDLC, it's kinda obvious.

"Did you like it?" Monika asks. Her words threw me off guard and I struggle to answer.

"W-well, I-I, y-yeah, it was good!" I spit out.

Monika giggles. I collect my thoughts and finally manage to put together a comprehensible sentence.

"I like how you utilized visual elements, like spacing out the words, to make the poem more effective. Not many people can successfully pull that off. Good job Monika!"

I have no idea what I'm talking about.

"Thank you. Nowadays, it's becoming more and more popular to use punctuation and spaces to add meaning to your poem."

"Yeah, I'm not the kind of guy to talk to about poetry trends."

Monika and I laugh as we continue talking. Suddenly, we hear a loud voice from behind us.

"Alright, you guys done?" Natsuki proclaims. "We have to share our poems with everyone, you know!"

I turn around and see Natsuki and Sayori looking at Monika with an annoyed glare.

"Umm, ok, guess we're done here." I hand the poem back. "Good job Monika."

Monika flashes me one more smile before Natsuki yanks me away. I hand her my poem. She quickly snaches it from my hands. I watch as her eyes move side to side, examining the poem. Once they reach the bottom of the page, they dart back up to the top for another time around.

Around a minute passes before Natsuki finally speaks up.

"It's alright…" She says unenthusiastically.

"Is it that bad?" I ask, disappointed.

"What? No, that's not what I meant dummy!" Natsuki quickly retorts.

"It's just…." Natsuki struggles to find her words. "This writing style is interesting."

Natsuki shakes her head.

"Anyway, it's not bad, but lemme show you what REAL poetry looks like!" Natsuki exclaims with a smug grin on her face. She slams her poem down on the desk on the right side of me.

"Your bode of confidence is overwhelming." I sneer.

Natsuki furrows her eyebrows as I begin reading. The poem is simple and has a lot of subtle literary techniques. The language of the poem is kinda cute, but if I say that, I'll get my ass beat.

"It's simple, yet effective. Not only that, but there's a lot little details put into the poem, like how you set up the rhyme at the end. Impressive."

Natsuki blushes. She has a slightly disappointed look on her face. She was probably looking forward to saying all that stuff.

"See? Told you this is what real literature is!" Natsuki brags.

I set the poem down and grab my own. As I walk away, I make one last remark.

"Thank you for enlightening me, Sensei. Namaste." I put my hands together and bow.

"H-hey!" Natsuki's eyebrows furrow in frustration as I walk towards Sayori.

"Hello!~" I greet Sayori.

"Hi, Nathan! I'm really excited to read your poem!"

I hand her the poem and she hands me hers. We both take our time taking in the other's poem. Hers is cute and represents her personality very well. Or, at least the personality she's pretending to be.

I'm the first to speak.

"I really like it. It has a sort of, happy vibe to it. That last line is a new favorite of mine." I chuckle. "You're good at this."

Sayori's eyes light up as I finish. She fumbles with her words.

"W-well I liked your poem too!" She finally gets out.

"It's really cool to see this new side of you. I never took you as someone who thought about that type of thing. I think it's neat."

"Learn something new every day, eh?" I say jokingly.

Sayori and I continue discussing our poems. As we continue talking, Yuri timidly approaches me.

"Oh, hi Yuri." I say.

"Hello. I-I'd like to r-read your poem now." She mumbles.

"Oh, alright."

I give Sayori a wave as Yuri and I walk away. We arrive at Yuri's desk, and I hand her my poem. She takes it and begins reading. Her facial expressions to change from happy, to confused, to a emotion I can't understand as she continues to read the poem.

Some time passes.

"Ahem"

"Oh, I-I'm sorry!" Yuri exclaims. "I-I just…"

"No worries. So, what did you think?"

Yuri searches for her words.

"It's good. The existential nature of the poem and the style of writing compliment each other nicely. I like how you spaced out the last line from the rest of the poem, it makes its meaning much more effective."

As Yuri continues to speak, she grows more confident. Her usual stammering is replaced by beautiful, flowing sentences. Whenever she talks about literature, her shy and timid persona is replaced by that of a strong and confident woman.

Suddenly, she stops and hands me her poem.

"Ghost Under The Light…" I mumble to myself.

The poem is very formal and mysterious. The language is very sophisticated and complex. I don't understand what it's about, but I'll try to hold a good conversation..

"Yuri, this is great!" I exclaim

"R-really?" Yuri says timidly.

"Yeah. There's a lot of visualization and imagery used. That, combined with the exquisite language, makes it a beautiful poem. Good job."

Yuri blushes. Our conversation lasts about a minute before I cut it off and head back to my seat. With that out of the way, Nothing is stopping me from jamming out. I, once again, pull out my earbuds. This time, I put on "Seasick" by Silversun Pickups. The deep electronic beats and slow pace are much different from "Lazy Eye", but the use of white noise and fuzz, along with the enigmatic lyrics and hypnotizing drumming keep it in Silversun Pickups' signature style. As I listen, I lean back in my chair, prop my feet up on the desk and put my hands behind my head. I can feel the stares from the girls penetrating through me.

About half way through the song, I manage to hear some muffled arguing through my earbuds. I open my eyes and see Yuri and Natsuki standing at the front the clubroom. Yuri looks uncomfortable, while Natsuki looks angry.

"You're just jealous Nathan liked my poem more than he liked yours!"

"T-that's not true!"

The arguing continues for some time. From what I can determine, they're arguing about which style of writing is better. That, and they're arguing about me.

"At least I'm not the one whose boobs magically grew bigger as soon as Nathan started coming here!"

"Ok that's enough." I stand up.

The girl's eyes all shoot over to me. I walk over to where they're standing.

"Listen: This is a literature club. LIT-ER-A-TURE! The whole point of this club is to celebrate different styles of writing."

By now I've reached them and are towering over both Yuri and Natsuki. I put on an annoyed look and furrow my eyebrows. Natsuki is in shock, while Yuri is visibly scared.

"Everybody has their own style of writing, that's why literature is so interesting. It's stupid to bicker about which style is better, because the great part about literature is the diversity. There's no such thing as "the better style"."

I decide to add insult to injury.

"But, if you guys can't respect each other's styles while trying to improve your own, than this club is fundamentally broken."

The girls all look pretty hurt by that, Monika especially.

"Just, cut that shit out, aight?" I say.

Natsuki and Yuri both lower their heads in shame.

"Ok. I'm sorry Yuri." Natsuki says.

"I apologize as well, Natsuki."

"Alright, I think it's time we head home, right Monika?" I say.

"Yes, I think your right. See you guys tomorrow." She announces unenthusiastically.

As everyone begins to pack up in silence, I walk over to Monika.

"I didn't mean that. I just wanted to emphasize my point. Your club is fine." I whisper to Monika.

"Aww, thanks~" Monika smiles sweetly at me. I smile back.

I motion to Sayori as I grab my things.

"Ready to head out?"

"Yes! Let's go!~"

Sayori and I head outside. The walk home would be peaceful, but an awkward silence remains in the air.

"So Sayori, come tomorrow morning, I want you to wake up early. We're going to school early so we can talk to the counselor."

Sayori is reluctant at first, but I convince her it's the best thing. Once we reach my house, I give her a big hug before heading inside.

I double tap my right temple.

"Talk to me" I say.

"Great progress today, Dr. Heyde." Angela says.

"Cool. So, question: How am I doing?"

"We've managed to maintain your muscle mass and your well fed. You're doing fine."

"Great. What exactly are you feeding me?"

"Dog food" Angela smirks.

"Hilarious."

I end the connection and head to my kitchen. I make spaghetti for dinner and watch some TV before heading to bed. I set my alarm an hour earlier before finally laying down. Tomorrow's going to be interesting...


	8. Chapter 7: Counseling

Chapter 8: Counseling

*RIIIIINGGGGG*

*RIIIIINGGGGG*

*RIII-

I slam my hand down on the alarm clock. With an annoyed sigh _,_ I lay in bed, trying to fall asleep again. I'm barely capable of cognitive function. The only thing on my mind is _sleep._ I fully close my eyes and attempt to drift out of consciousness, but a unfamiliar sensation keeps my sentient. Curious, I open my eyes.

 _It's really dark…_

Usually my room is slightly illuminated by sun in the morning, but considering the time, I'm met by only darkness. The thought of sunlight beaming through my windows reminds me of Sayori's poem.

 _Sayori…_

As I spring out of bed and head for the bathroom, a wave of anxiety washes over me. Anxiety about the awkward conversations that surely await me in the counselor's office. _Sayori really didn't want to go see the counselor yesterday. Maybe she-_

A horrible thought enters my mind. I shake my head and splash my face with cold water, scolding myself in the mirror as I do so. _Don't think like that! Sayori would never…_

I attempt to believe my own statement, but deep down, I know she would. The thought disgusts me. Once I'm finished up in the bathroom, I head downstairs and create some more French Vanilla coffee with the VRT. _One of these days I need to look at some coffee machine blueprints._

Once the VRT is done, I don't hesitate. Whilst drinking my coffee, I begin to pack my things in my bag. I quickly notice I don't have a poem. _Ahh, I'll write one in class._ Did I mention I have a bad habit of procrastination?

My thoughts continue on like this until I finally make it out the door. My heart soon starts racing. That horrible thought is attempting to make its way into my mind again. While I say to myself it's not true, I simultaneously quicken my pace to Sayori's house.

 _There's nothing to worry about…..There's nothing to worry about….._

Repeating that is the only thing that keeps me sane.

After what seems like an eternity, I reach Sayori's front door. I gently knock.

"Sayori? Are you up?" No answer, but I wasn't expecting one.

 _She probably forgot to set her alarm._

Hesitantly, I open the door and step inside. The house is similar in layout to mine, but the decorations and furniture are different. The kitchen and living room don't have a wall inbetween them like in my house, but rather a large doorway. The walls are a bare white with little decoration.

I begin to walk up the stairs when I hear a door open on the second floor.

"Hello?" I call out.

"Nathan?! What are you doing here?!" Sayori yells, clearly surprised.

"I came to make sure you got up." I respond.

I begin to walk up the stairs.

"D-Don't come up here!" Sayori screams.

I freeze in place. I hear a few panicked footsteps and a door slam closed. Hesitantly, I reach the top of the stairs. Sayori's bathroom door is open and it looks foggy inside. _Oh, she just got out of the shower._

I wait at the top of the stairs. A few minutes pass and Sayori comes out of her bedroom dressed in her uniform.

"Morning." I say.

"Good morning!~" Sayori beams at me.

We both walk downstairs and head for the kitchen. I ask her if she'd ate and she replies no. I assumed this would happen, so I skipped breakfast. Sayori sits down at the small table in the kitchen while I look through her refrigerator. I find some eggs and take them out. Since Sayori is here, I can't use the VRT to make some breakfast. Luckily, I remember how to make scrambled eggs and go with that.

I pull out a skillet from Sayori's pantry and fire up the stove. While I let that heat up, I mix some eggs, milk, salt and pepper in a bowl. I then place this mixture into the skillet and let the eggs cook, lightly pulling them across the pan. Once they're done, I get some plates and walk over to the table.

"Breakfast is served!" I exclaim proudly.

"Ooo, this looks yummy!" Sayori says, licking her lips.

"It's just eggs."

We laugh and begin to dig in. I check the time. _School starts in 50 minutes. That gives us plenty of time._

The counselor always arrives to school an hour early in case any students want to talk before school. _Or, at least that's what I was told._

We finish up our breakfast and heap to school. The sun has barely risen, coating the sidewalk in a deep purple, only challenged by the yellow glow of the streetlights. As we continue walking, I hold Sayori's hand. She gives me a weird look at first, but a smile later and we're walking in peace.

When we arrive at the school, the gates are already opened. Hand in hand, Sayori and I walk inside. The quiet hallways with peaceful ambient noise is a large contrast to the constant talking and locker-slamming I'm used to. We walk around for a bit, examining the signs above the doorways. Finally, we find the counselor.

I gently open the door. "Um, Hello?"

I spot the counselor in the corner of his small office, placing books on his shelf. He turns around and flashes a smile.

"Ah, Hello! Please, sit down. Make yourselves comfortable!" He motions to the two velvet chairs in front of his desk.

I walk inside and Sayori timidly follows. We both sit down and the counselor walks over to his desk. He pulls out his computer chair and takes a seat.

"I'm Dr. Tycho, the school counselor, but you can call me Alan." He says. "And you?"

I reach my hand out. "I'm Nathan Heyde, and this is my friend Sayori."

We shake hands. His handshake is firm, yet casual at the same time.

"Pleasure to meet you both." Alan says, pulling back. "So, what brings you to my neck of the woods?"

Sayori opens her mouth to speak, but I beat her to it.

"We're here to get some advice about how to deal with depression."

Sayori's face burns with embarrassment. A concerned look appears on Alan's face.

"I see. Thank you for coming to me, you made the right decision. Now, if you don't mind me asking…"

"I'm the one with depression. Nathan's just a really good friend that wants to help me out." Sayori barely manages to say. Alan flashes a smile.

"Thank you Sayori. I know how hard it is to admit that." Alan turns to his head to me. "And thank you, Nathan. Not many friends are this helpful."

"What are friends for?" I smile.

Alan smiles back and chuckles. "That is true. Now, concerning you Sayori…"

Alan begins to tell Sayori ways to help deal with depression, such as exercise and getting enough sleep. He then told me ways I could help her, like exercising with her and giving emotional support, things like that. Once we're done, Alan makes plans for us the meet next week. We thank him and leave his office.

Students begin to pour into the school as I escort Sayori to her locker. While we aren't holding hands, some students give us looks. _Ehh, who cares?_

Sayori reaches her locker and grabs her stuff. She's very upbeat and happy. Seeing her like this warms my heart.

We reach her classroom.

"Alright, bye Sayori." I say.

"Bye!~"

As I walk away, Sayori calls to me.

"See you at the literature club!~"

 _The literature club…_

I smile to myself.


	9. Chapter 8: Feelings

Chapter 9: Feelings

I quickly run back to my locker and grab my textbooks. Arriving at class, I see some girls gossiping in the corner of the room. As I walk in, they cock their heads and give me a weird look, then quickly turn back and resume their conversation. I can only assume they're talking about Sayori and I. _Yeah, I couldn't care less._

I take my seat and begin to write my poem. It's short and not as good as my last one, but it'll do.

As I finish up, the teacher walks into the class. He instructs us to pull out our textbooks. Putting my poem in my bag, I do as I'm told.

 _A couple hours later..._

The bell rings and the teacher dismisses class. Without hesitation, I grab my stuff and head for the clubroom. Opening the door, I find I'm the first one here. _Fine by me._ Walking over to my usual desk, I slump down and pull out my earbuds, again. Today, I put on "There's No Secrets This Year" by Silversun Pickups, the opener for their album Swoon. I intend to just let whole album play itself. I pull out Dante's Inferno and start reading.

Monika is the first to arrive. I give her a wave and she walks over to me. Her eyebrows are furrowed out of anger. I take out my left earbud.

"What exactly are you doing?" Monika asks. I can hear the rage in her voice.

"Reading?" I say.

"Don't play dumb, you know what I'm talking about." Monika snaps.

I let out a long sigh. "You'll know in due time." I reply coldly.

Monika grimaces and clenches her fist.

"You're horrible." Monika says through her teeth.

"You say that now." I retort.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Monika questions.

I open my mouth to answer, but Natsuki walks in before I can speak. She raises an eyebrow when she sees Monika standing over me.

"Oh, hi Natsuki! We were just finishing up our conversation." Monika steps away from the desk and adjusts her hair.

"... Alright" Natsuki says awkwardly.

Monika walks to the front of the room and begins to work on her poster. The rest of the girls continue to funnel in and do their own things. Sayori helps Monika with the poster while Yuri and Natsuki read their books. As I continue to read, I occasionally look up and see the girls glancing at me. I notice Natsuki looks a bit uneasy, like she has something on her mind. She glances at me expectantly, but doesn't make a move.

The music continues to play in order, from the melancholic vocals in "Growing Old Is Getting Old" to the upbeat drumming and electronic riff in "Sort Of". I like "Sort Of", the lyrics are similar to mine in a way.

 _Do you think, I'm sort of, alive?_

I hum to myself as Sayori walks over to me. I see her approach and take out one of my earbuds expectantly.

"Hey Sayori."

"Hi Nathan!~" Sayori beams.

"So, Monika asked me to go and get some supplies to make posters, and I was wondering if you wanted to come with!"

"Eh, sure. Why not?"

"Yay!" Sayori does a little jump. _This girl is too cute…_

"Ah, are you going with Nathan to get the supplies?" Monika interrupts my thoughts. "There's no need to trouble yourself."

"I'd be happy to go with him." Monika smiles at me.

I'm torn between continuing my conversation with Monika and spending time with Sayori. _Wait a minute, shouldn't they be watching?_

While Sayori and Monika continue to argue, I secretly double tap my right temple.

"Nathan, go with Sayori. Monika knows too much." Lewis says, clearly annoyed.

I nod my head and end the connection. Monika and Sayori seemingly came to a conclusion. Sayori heads for the door and motions for me to follow. I trail behind her as we walk through the halls. Sayori skips from side to side, humming to herself.

I play dumb. "So Sayori, what exactly are we doing for the festival?"

Sayori slows down as gets by my side.

"Oh, you didn't here? We're doing a poetry performance!"

"Really? That sounds like fun."

"I know! We're making posters to advertise it so people can bring their own poems and perform them!" Sayori exclaims.

"That's a really good idea."

"I came up with it." Sayori stops and puts her hands on her hips and stands proud.

"Well, as expected from the cutest member of the literature club." I flirt with a smirk on my face.

Sayori blushes and looks away. I can hear her stammering to come up with a retort, but she doesn't say anything. Suddenly, she stops and points to a classroom door.

"This one!" She says, opening the door.

We walk inside and immediately head for the closet. Sayori is the first one inside, while I wait near the closet door.

"Lets see what we have in here….Crayons!" Sayori exclaims.

"Good find. Alright, now let me get the poster paper." I say, moving into the closet.

"Wait, I'm looking for my favorite color!" Sayori whines.

"Ah, I dropped one by accide-KYAA!"

Sayori smacks her forehead against the shelf. She falls to the ground.

"Owowowow-My forehead!" Sayori clutches her head.

Sayori's sitting on the floor, so I grab her by the waist and drag her out of the closet.

"Here, let me look at it." I sigh. "You have to move your hands, Sayori."

"But it hurts…" Sayori whines.

"Just for a little bit, okay?"

Sayori slowly moves her hands. I see a huge red bump in the middle of her forehead.

"That's gonna swell up. I should get you some ice or something."

"No, that's not necessary! I'm fine with…"

"...Looking like a unicorn" Sayori lets out a smile.

"Oh, don't be ridiculous. I'll be right back."

I get up from the floor and head outside the classroom. I take a look around the hallways to make sure I'm alone. Once it's secure, I look at the linoleum tiled ground. I imagine a cold bottle of apple juice, sitting righting in front of me.

"Execute"

A bright lights appears in front of me, manifesting itself into the apple juice. Once it's done, I pick up the bottle and head towards the classroom. Sayori is still sitting on the floor, attempting to pick up the spilled crayons.

"At least they were already in the wrong spots when I found them." Sayori says to herself.

"Here, for your head." I say, handing the bottle to Sayori.

"Ooo, apple juice!~" Sayori exclaims. She begins to pop the cap off, but stops herself and places it on her head.

"Ehehe~"

We sit in silence for a bit.

"Hey Nathan, this kind of reminds you of growing up, doesn't it?"

"Yeah, in a way." I chuckle.

"It's like when we were kids. You and I would always go off and play outside. I tried to keep up with you, but I usually fell behind and had trouble climbing on the things you did."

"And sometimes, I would end up getting myself hurt. I would start crying…"

"And you always would immediately come over and try to get me to stop crying. You've always taken care of me. Even now, when I was just being stupid, you took care of me."

Sayori has a slight glimmer in her eye.

"You're really a sweetheart, Nathan~"

I blush and Sayori giggles.

"Thanks Sayori. It means a lot coming from you." I lean down next to Sayori.

I take a deep breath.

"Sayori, you and I have known each other for a long time. We know each other better than anyone else in the world. You're my closest friend."

Sayori looks at me blissfully.

"Yet, even though I know you better than anyone, I didn't realize you had depression. I'm sorry for that."

"Nathan…"

"But, now I know. And now I'm going to help you through it. I am going to stay by your side forever Sayori, because...I…."

"I love you."

Sayori gasps and looks at me with a tear in her eye.

"Nathan...I-I" Sayori stammers and barely manages to contain her emotions. Finally, she gives in.

"I love you too!~" Sayori says as she breaks down and begins to cry. I wrap my arms around her.

We sit there, Sayori crying into my shoulder, for about a minute before she speaks through her sobs.

"T-this is the h-happiest moment of m-my life!~"

I hold Sayori tighter and whisper into her ear.

"Mine too."

After a little bit, Sayori calms down and we end our embrace. I reach my hand out and help Sayori stand up.

"Is your head going to be okay?" I ask concerningly.

"Yeah, I think I'll be fine."

Sayori and I begin to walk towards the door. Suddenly, she stops and looks at me.

"Thank you for being there for me, Nathan. You said you were going to be by my side forever. Do you mean that?"

"Of course, Sayori. Anything for you.~"

"That makes me really happy. Thank you…"

"...my love."

The sun shines through the windows and illuminates our faces as we share our first kiss in the doorway.


	10. Chapter 9: A Hard Decision

Chapter 10: A Hard Decision

"Alright, see you guys next week!" Alan says as the bell rings.

"Bye Alan!" Sayori and I say in unison. We grab our things and head out the door. It's been around a week since I confessed to Sayori, and it's one of the best weeks of my life. No one but Alan knows as of this moment. He noticed a difference in Sayori's behavior and immediately guessed we were dating. _Guess he's good at picking up on that stuff._

"I really like Dr. Tycho. He's so calm and welcoming." Sayori says.

"Yeah, he's chill. That's probably why you have such an easy time talking about stuff with him. He's certainly a good counselor." I comment.

"No doubt about that." Sayori replies. "Anyway, let's get going! I don't wanna be the last ones in the club!"

Sayori and I scheduled our weekly meeting with during last period this week, partly because we wanted to walk to the literature club together and partly to get out of class. Of course, he's really chill and let us miss last period. _I really like him._

We arrive at the clubroom doors. Before heading in, we let go of each other's hand as to not raise speculation. We walk in the doors and find Natsuki and Yuri already in the clubroom having a conversation at the front of the room.

"Hey guys!" Sayori exclaims as she goes inside. "Is Monika not here yet?"

"No, she hasn't arrived." Yuri says. "Strange, she's usually the first one here."

"Yeah, it's weird." Natsuki adds.

I sit down at my usual seat and pull out my poem notebook. Looking through it, I have a good collection of poems. Grabbing my pencil, I begin to modify some of them. Cleaning up my word choice, fixing grammatical errors, things like that. While doing so, I hear the door open. I look over and see Monika standing in the doorway.

"Sorry! So sorry!" Monika apologizes.

"What took you so long?" Natsuki snaps.

"Oh, um…, well my last period today was study hall, so I must have not heard the bell."

"Wait, how can you not hear the bell?" Natsuki further questions.

"Ah, I was practicing piano." Monika says proudly.

"Oh, you play the piano? I never knew that, Monika." Yuri comments.

"Yeah, I kinda started recently. I've always wanted to learn piano."

"Wow, first the literature club, and now piano! You're really talented Monika!" Sayori praises.

Monika blushes. "D-don't say that…" Monika takes a breath and regains herself.

"I think it's just determination rather than skill, to be honest."

"Still, it's impressive to have that level of determination." Yuri comments.

Monika blushes again. "Oh, thank you…"

We begin to do our own things. Recently, I've begun working on a short story. It's about a man who lands on a planet covered entirely by a deep ocean. He must use the materials he has onboard and the things he finds whilst exploring the depths to survive while he fights off the aliens living in the ocean. I'm currently about 3 chapters in, and I must say writing is hard.

Monika puts down her book and calls out to the club.

"Okay, everyone! Please come take a seat at the front of the room. We need to talk about the festival."

Everyone reluctantly puts their stuff away and shuffles towards the front of the room.

As we sit down, Monika begins.

"So, as you know, we're going to be putting on a poetry performance for the festival."

"I still don't get why we have to do something for the festival." Natsuki complains. "We'll look dumb compared to everyone else."

"Well, Monika and Sayori have put a lot of effort into this. Least we can do is support them." I retort.

Natsuki hesitates, then nods her head in agreement.

"Yeah, I guess you're right" Natsuki says unenthusiastically

"Thank you, Natsuki. I know how embarrassing this is." Monika says.

"Anyways, for sharing poems today, I thought it would be a good idea to perform them outloud as practice for the festival."

Monika barely manages to complete her sentence before Yuri and Natsuki interject.

"N-n-no way!" Natsuki yells.

"Monika..." Yuri stammers. "This is too sudden…."

"Well, if you can't recite your poem in front of the club, how do you expect to do it in front of strangers?" Monika retorts.

"Oh no…" Yuri mummers.

"Don't worry. I'll go first to help everyone feel more comfortable." Monika assures the group.

Monika pulls out her composition notebook and places it on the podium in the front of the room. "Now lets see…" Monika murmurs as she flips through the notebook, looking for a specific poem.

"Ah, here we go!" Monika exclaims. "The title of this poem is _The Way They Fly._ "

Monika begins reciting her poem. Her voice is clear and confident. She knows how to perfectly put power behind each word, further emphasizing its impact. _She's clearly had practice, no one can just be that good right off the bat._

Monika finishes and we all clap. Monika does a curtsy and sits down.

"Ooo, me next! Me next!" Sayori says cheerfully.

Sayori jumps up from her desk and walks up to the front of the room.

"This one's called... _My Meadow._ "

"Ah.."

"-Ahaha!"

"Sorry, I giggled…." Sayori shamefully admits. I chuckle to myself. _This girl is too cute._

Sayori takes a breath and composes herself. She begins to recite her poem. Her soft and cheerful voice complement the poem very well. _It's not that it's a bad poem, but it's probably better performed than read_ I comment mentally.

Sayori finishes and beams at us. We all clap for her.

"Great job, Sayori."

"Ehehe, Thanks Nathan~" Sayori giggles as she sits down.

An awkward silence fills the clubroom. I speak up.

"Hmm, guess I'll-"

"I-I'll go!" Yuri interrupts. We all turn to look at her, shocked.

"Uwah! Yuri's fired up all of the sudden!" Sayori comments as Yuri hurries up to the podium.

"This poem is called-..." Yuri stammers as she anxiously stares at us.

"It's….It's called _Afterimage of A Crimson Eye."_

Yuri voice is shaky as begins to read the poem. However, as time goes on, her nervousness disappears. The strong and confident persona she displays whenever she talks about literature comes out and is on full display. The poem is amazing, the word choice mysterious and sophisticated.

Suddenly, she's done. I immediately start clapping, and the others follow suit. Yuri, clearly embarrassed, rushes back to her seat.

"That was great, Yuri!" Monika praises. No answer. _Guess Yuri's over and out._

"Ok, do you wanna go next, Natsuki?" Monika asks.

"Don't make me go before Nathan. It's not like I can compete with you guys anyway…" Natsuki's voice trails off.

"Ahh, don't say that Natsuki. Your poems are good. C'mon, be confident!" I say.

Natsuki glances at our expectant faces before sighing loudly.

"Ughh, FINE!" Natsuki pouts as she walks up to the podium.

"The poem is called…"

"It's called…"

"W-Why are you all staring at me?" Natsuki complains.

"Oh, sorry Natsuki. It's not like you're-" I slam my hands on my desk for dramatic effect. "PERFORMING!" I say as sarcastically as possible.

That entices a laugh from everyone but Natsuki, who just stares at me menacingly. I can see the anger in her cute little pink eyes.

"S-Shut up, Nathan!" Natsuki retorts.

"A-Anyway, this poem is called... _Jump_ "

Once she begins, her saltiness disappears a bit. The rhythm and rhyme of the poem gives it a cheerful beat. Her voice, while unenthusiastic, doesn't fail to give life to her poem.

She finishes and we applaud. Praises are exchanged, but I'm not listening. Instead, I'm mentally freaking out. _Wait, why the hell am I stressed again? I'm getting paid to do this shit!_

With that realization, a newfound confidence pulls me out of my desk and puts me in the front of the room. The girls stares burn a hole into the chalkboard behind me.

I open up my poem notebook and look for a good one to recite.

"Decisions, decisions…." I say as I flip through the book.

Finally, I find a good one. "Ah, here we are! This one's called _Fortune Days._ "

I clear my throat and completely tune out my surroundings. I'm alone, sitting in my room, reciting poetry to myself. _Yes, I'm alone…_

"Only yesterday did the world change,"

"But it's felt like years."

"The mind cannot comprehend time properly,"

"When given that much of an influx."

"It's been that way for a span a time so long,"

"Even a sane person wouldn't understand."

"The sun still shines, but my shadow is gone."

"The leaves still fall, but they all turn black."

"Colorless."

"The world has changed, I understand,"

"But what has changed is beyond me."

"For I believe my fortune days live on…."

I pause for dramatic effect.

"But that's not the truth."

"Time is up."

I look up and stare directly at the girls.

"Wake up."

The girls stare at me, completely dumbfounded. Only after I close my notebook do they finally start clapping.

"Wow, that was great!" Sayori exclaims.

"You're really good at this, Nathan!" Monika praises.

"That was...incredible…" Yuri says.

"Yeah, it was good…" Natsuki adds in.

I silently accept the praise and sit down at my desk. Monika takes my place in front of the podium.

"Okay everyone! I think we're ready for the festival!" Monika happily exclaims. "But...we still need to work out the other things. Food, decorations, things like that!"

Natsuki immediately chirps up. "I'll make cupcakes!~"

Monika laughs. "Ok, you can do that."

"Now, Sayori and I will be working on the pamphlets for the performance over the weekend, and Yuri…."

"Umm, Yuri…." Monika struggles to find her words.

"Yuri can do decorations! Like, atmosphere, and lighting…" Sayori interjects.

"Ummm…" Yuri comtemplates. "I love atmosphere!' She suddenly says.

Her sudden enthusiasm threw us off guard, but he hurriedly dismiss it.

"So, that just leaves me, eh?" I say.

"Guess so." Monika says. She thinks for a bit, then speaks her mind.

"Well, Natsuki and Yuri have some pretty heavy tasks to handle, and helping them would come a long way."

"Or, you could always help me…" Monika slyly adds.

I'm at a crossroads. I would like to spend time with Sayori, but I was told to avoid any unnecessary confrontation with Monika. _I remember that conversation well…_

Flashback Begins:

"What the hell was that?" Lewis says angrily.

"I didn't say anything specific…" I retort.

"But you still said something!" Lewis grimaces. "Listen, we may be close, but we're not done yet. You need to, first of all, shut the hell up." He says jokingly. "And secondly," _Back to serious again_ "You need to stay away from Monika as much as possible without drawing suspicion."

"Okay, I'll try." I assure him.

"Good." Lewis replies before sighing. "This has to go smoothly…"

"Yeah…"

Flashback Ends:

While contemplating, I see Sayori look at me expectantly. She gives me puppy eyes. _Goddamnit…_

"I'd be glad to help you and Sayori with the pamphlets." I say with a smile. Sayori's face lights up.

"Wait a minute!" Natsuki interrupts. "Monika and Sayori can do the pamphlets themselves!"

"Y-Yeah! If anything, Nathan should help me or Natsuki!" Yuri adds.

I put my hands up in defeat. "Alright, alright...Sorry guys." I say to the disappointed faces of Sayori and Monika.

Yuri and Natsuki look at me expectantly.

I let out a long sigh.

"I'm not very artsy, and cupcakes sound fun, so I guess Natsuki."

"W-Wait, really?" Natsuki asks, clearly exciting.

"Y-You don't have to artsy! I can give you easy things to do! I can-" Yuri's sudden interjection is interrupted by Natsuki.

"Yuri, he already made his choice. Don't try to change his mind just so you can spend time with him!"

Yuri blushes and fumbles with her words.

"W-What? No! That's n-not what I…"

"Hey, hey, that's unnecessary." I interrupt with a disappointed tone.

"It's just work, nothing personal about it. Doesn't matter who helps who, alright?" I say to Natsuki and Yuri.

They both prepare themselves to say something back, but stop themselves.

"O-Ok…" Yuri mumbles.

"Yeah…" Natsuki adds.

"Alright, glad we got that settled out. Natsuki and Nathan, you'll be doing cupcakes. Yuri, you'll be doing decorations. Sayori and I will be doing pamphlets." Monika says.

"Sounds like a plan." I comment.

"Good. I'll see you guys at the festival! Have a good weekend!"

And with that, we pack our things and begin to head. Before I can make it out of the clubroom, I feel a tugging at my arm.

"Hey, dummy! I-I need your phone number!" Natsuki says with a blush.

"Oh, right."

Sayori waits for me as Natsuki and I exchange phone numbers.

"Alright, see ya Sunday."

"B-Bye…" Natsuki says.

I take Sayori's hand and we walk home. On the sidewalk, Sayori rests her head on my shoulder as we walk.

"So, I have things to do tonight. What do you say we spend Saturday together?"

Sayori's face lights up. "That's sounds great!"

We reach my house. I give Sayori a kiss before heading inside. Once inside, I immediately collapse of exhaustion on my couch.

 **Author's Note: Sorry for not uploading in a while, but I felt like releasing Chapters 9 and 10 together. Anyway, more coming soon. Stay tuned!**


	11. Chapter 10: Bliss

Chapter 11: Bliss

My doorbell rings and jolts me awake. _Who the hell could that be?_ I groggily walk over to the door and open it.

"Morning!" Sayori cheerfully greets me.

"Mmh, morning…" I say back automatically.

Concern appears on Sayori's face. She puts her hand on my forehead and quickly examines me.

"What's wrong? Are you sick?" She asks.

"Nah, I just woke up." I yawn. "Anyway, why are you here? I thought we were meeting on Saturday."

"...It is Saturday…."

My eyes open wide. Panic and adrenaline shoot their way through my body. Hyperventilating, I go into an athletic stance and begin to look around for a clock. Poking my head into my kitchen, I see the digital clock displaying 6:30 AM.

"Oh jeez…" I calm down and almost pass out again. Before I can collapse on the floor, Sayori catches me.

"What's wrong?" She asks as she leads me to my couch.

As Sayori helps me onto the couch, I tell her.

"I fell asleep after I got home from the literature club."

"Waaaaah! Nathan!"

"I know, I know... Guess the stress of the day combined with little sleep last- well, the night before, put me down for the count."

"Well, it explains why you're still in your uniform." Sayori says.

I look down and see that, yes, I am still in my dirty school uniform. The clothing is sticky with sweat and has lint all over it.

"I'ma go change" I say as I begin to get up.

"No! You should stay still!" Sayori puts her hands on my shoulders.

I sigh. "I'll be fine, Sayori."

Before she can come up with a retort, I head out of my living room and make my way upstairs. I open my door and head for my closet. I find some gray pajama bottoms made out of "snuggle fabric" and a black cotton t-shirt. I slowly take off my uniform till I'm just in my underwear and socks. _Eh, might as well change these too._

Once I'm all dressed, I head back down the stairs and see Sayori rooting through my cupboards.

"What do you think you're doing?" I question.

"I'm looking for some breakfast." Sayori replies as she pulls out some cereal. As she begins to make two bowls, one for each of us, I begin interrogating her.

"So, why are you here this early in the morning?"

"I wanted for us to go for an early morning walk, but considering your current state…" Sayori turns around and hands me a bowl of cereal. "I thought we could just snuggle on the couch.~"

I smile. "I'd like that."

Sayori and I move into the living room and sit down on the couch. I reach for the remote and turn on the TV.

"What do you want to watch?" Sayori asks.

"Your pick." I say as I toss the remote to her.

She catches the remote with her free hand and begins to scroll through my selection. She eventually finds a relatively interesting looking anime and we begin watching. Once I finish the cereal Sayori made for me, I place my head on the armrest of the couch and lay down. Sayori puts down her cereal and lies on top of me, her head on my chest. I wrap my right arm around her.

We continue watching in silence, enjoying each other's embrace. As the episode ends, Sayori lifts her head up and moves it closer to me. She whispers in my ear.

"I love you, Nathan.~"

I place my right hand on her cheek and stare into her eyes.

"I love you too, Sayori."

I pull her face to mine and our lips connect for a passionate kiss.

 _This is bliss…._

We stay like this for a long time, holding and occasionally kissing each other while watching the TV. As the sun comes up and shines through the windows, Sayori buries her face in my chest. I lovingly stroke her hair.

Suddenly, Sayori's head perks up.

"Ooo, I have an idea!" She exclaims.

"Let's hear it." I say as I sit up.

"Let's go bowling!" Sayori says excitedly.

"I haven't gone bowling in ages…" My voice trails off as I reminisce in old memories. "But yeah, let's do it!"

Sayori smile widely. "Yay!"

As I begin to get off the couch to get my stuff, Sayori suddenly gasps.

"What is it?" I question.

"Oh no, I forgot! Monika's coming over today to work on the pamphlets!" Sayori makes a look of disappointment and sadness. "I'm sorry!"

I place a hand on Sayori's shoulder. "Don't worry, we can spend time together tonight." I reassure her.

"I'd like that." Sayori smiles.

"So, when's Monika coming over?"

Sayori looks at the clock mounted above my TV.

"In about half an hour."

"Alright, then you should get going. You need to clean up your house a bit."

"Yeah, ehehe!~" Sayori giggles.

"Could you help meee?" She pleads.

"No can do, sweetie. I have other things going on."

Sayori blushes.

"Alright…"

I help her gather her things and walk her to the door. I give her a kiss before she walks home. Closing the door, I double tap my right temple.

"That was hard to watch." Lewis exasperates before faking a gag.

"Oh, shut up." I say.

"Look at him blush!" Angela exclaims.

"H-Hey!" I say as I cover my face with my hands.

Lewis and Angela break out in laughter as my frustration continues to grow. Thankfully, they eventually calm down.

"Okay, okay. I'm sorry Heyde." Angela says, still chuckling. "Anyways, Nathan, listen: We're all a bit concerned about you."

 _Ugh, I know what this is about._

"Hey, you seriously think I'd put my own feelings in front of the operation?" I snap.

"Well, from what we've seen, yeah. A little bit." Lewis remarks.

I scoff. "Just because I'm enjoying my time here doesn't mean I forgot _why_ I'm here." I pause. "Plus, I'm supposed to be doing this!"

"We know, we know. We're just a bit paranoid." Angela says apologetically. "Can you blame us?"

"No, not really." I sigh.

"We just want you to remember how important this is." Lewis says. "Just, hold out for a little while longer. We're almost done."

"Thank god." I remark.

I double tap my right temple and head upstairs to my room. Pulling out my laptop, I continue working on my short story. I look through the old chapters and begin editing my word choice and phrasing. By the time I'm done, it's already 2 o'clock. I decide to make a late lunch. Walking into my kitchen, I stare at the counter and form the image of a bowl of ramen in my brain.

"Execute"

The same bright light I'm used to by now appears and disappears, leaving the bowl of ramen I pictured in its place. Grabbing the bowl, I open my front door and sit down on the porch step. I peacefully eat my lunch as I watch cars whiz by. I wave at people on their bikes with my free hand. Only some of them wave back. Finishing the bowl, I begin to head inside. While standing up, I look up at Sayori's window and see her and Monika waving at me. I smile and wave back.

I place the bowl in my sink and finally decide to wash my dishes. _Granted, there's very little do to my copious usage of the VRT._ I finish up and head up to my room for a quick nap.

 _Around 30 minutes later..._

I hear some rustling noises right next to me. Startled, I perk my head up and look around for the source. Turning to my side, I see Sayori climbing in bed next to me. I breathe a sigh relief and wrap my arms around her and pull her to me. She gently returns my embrace and buries her head in my chest. We sit in silence for bit, simply enjoying each other's company.

"I've dreamed about this. About spending time with you." Sayori says.

"So have I." I say. "I love you."

"I love you too."

I kiss Sayori on the forehead. She giggles and kisses my neck.

"So, how'd it go with Monika?" I ask.

"Oh, it went well." Sayori pauses. "She asked about you and me…"

"Really? What did you say?"

"I said we were just friends. If they find out, the club is going to be so awkward!" Sayori whines.

"Yeah, probably."

"But…." Sayori says.

"But….?" I question.

Sayori takes a breath.

"Monika admitted to me that she has a crush on you...a-and I-"

I chuckle and pat Sayori on the head.

"Sayori, you don't have to worry about me. I'm yours." I assure her. "Plus, you thought I didn't know Monika has a crush on me?"

Sayori looks up at me in confusion.

"Wait, you knew?"

"Of course I did. I'm good at picking up on social cues."

Sayori giggles and stares into my eyes.

"I'm yours…" She repeats blissfully before pulling me in for another kiss. I slowly pull away.

"Still wanna go bowling?" I say

Sayori's eyes light up.

"Yes!"

We climb out of bed gather out things. While Sayori is looking away, I conjure up some money with the VRT. Putting on my black jacket and trapper cap, we head out for the city.

 _Later that night…_

"I still can't believe you pulled off that split at the end. I almost had you!" Sayori exclaims.

"Trust me, I'm surprised too. I didn't know you were that good at bowling."

"Ehehe!~"

Sayori and laugh and continue talking as exit the bowling alley. We're in the middle of the city. The colorful neon signs light up the night as we trek through the crowds of people out on the streets. Sayori grabs my arm and pulls it to her. I smile and slightly rest my head on her head.

"You still hungry?" I ask. We had some food at the bowling alley.

"Nah, I'm okay." Sayori insists.

"Alright."

After quite a bit of walking, we reach my house. The light in my room is still turned on. I walk up to the door and unlock it.

"Good night, Sayori." I say as I enter. She doesn't let go of me.

"Aww, I wanted to stay over!" She whines.

"If you want to." I chuckle.

Sayori follows me as I head upstairs into my bedroom. She sits down on my bed as I turn on the TV. We continue watching the anime we started earlier today. Eventually, Sayori falls asleep next to me. I turn the TV off and lay down as well.

"Goodnight, Sayori."

I doze off.


	12. Chapter 11: Baking

Chapter 12: Baking

Once again, I am awoken by the sound of my doorbell. I quickly jump out of bed rush downstairs, Sayori right on my tail. I reach the door and open it.

"N-Natsuki?" I exclaim.

Sure enough, Natsuki is standing in my doorway. I finally see her in casual clothing. She's wearing a pink tutu and a small white shirt. On her shoulder is a large bag, probably full of cooking supplies.

"Who else?" She replies sarcastically.

Sayori comes down the stairs, yawning and rubbing her eyes.

"Who is it?" She asks.

"S-Sayori?!" Natsuki exclaimed in surprise.

 _Crap._

"N-Natsuki?!" Sayori echoes. "W-Why are you here?"

"Why are _you_ here?" Natsuki demanded. She then turns to me. "Did you guys have sex or something?!"

Sayori shrieks in terror.

"What? No! Jeez, Natsuki!" I scolded. "We just…"

"Just what?" Natsuki demanded.

"We...well, we've been friends for a long time now, and we decided to have an old-fashioned sleepover. That's it. We didn't have s-"

"Don't say it!" Sayori interrupts in embarrassment.

We have an awkward moment of silence before Natsuki finally speaks.

"Well, get going Sayori! We don't need your help with the cupcakes, you know!"

Sayori nods her head and quickly runs past me and Natsuki out the door. I wave to her, but she doesn't look back.

"Sorry about that. Guess I forgot to set my alarm." I say as I turn to Natsuki.

"You should be! I wish I didn't see that!" Natsuki remarks as she enters my house.

"Ugh, we didn't do anything!" I complain as Natsuki heads for the kitchen.

"Yeah, yeah. Like I believe you." Natsuki mocked.

"Hey, if you keep holding this over my head, this day's not gonna be fun."

Natsuk rolls her eyes.

"Just get in here and help me unpack my stuff!" She orders.

I walk around the breakfast bar and begin taking things out of her bag. In it she has numerous baking supplies, along with utensils and even a mixing machine.

"Why'd you bring this?" I ask as I hold up the mixing machine.

"I didn't want to come all this way just to find your kitchen isn't suited for the job."

"I have been insulted" I joke.

"Success."

Natsuki laughs as we begin cooking. Natsuki preheats the oven and opens up her recipe book. She instructs me to get out large bowls as she measures the ingredients. I place one bowl on the counter and hand another one to Natsuki. She takes it and begins placing the ingredients in the bowl.

"Get 2 eggs, baking soda, salt and some vanilla and put them in a bowl." Natsuki instructs.

"How much?"

"The amounts are in the book." She points to the recipe book on the island without looking away from her bowl.

I measure out the ingredients and mix them in the bowl. As I swirl them around with my rubber spatula, I crack the eggs on the counter and beat them into the mixture, throwing the shells into my sink.

Natsuki finishes up with her part and checks on me.

"Is that good?" I ask while motioning at my work.

"No, you need to beat the eggs in better. Gimme that." Natsuki grabs the spatula from my hand and begins whisking it around in the bowl.

"Here, I'll work on the batter. You do the frosting." Natsuki declares.

I shrug and walk over to the recipe book. Getting another large bowl from the cabinets, I begin to put the ingredients for the frosting into the bowl. I mix them around for a bit before I get an idea. _It'll be risky, but it's worth trying._

"Hey, is the frosting gonna have flavors?" I ask.

"No. Or, at least I wasn't planning on it." Natsuki answers.

"Well, I think I have some artificial flavoring, I'll check."

"Ok…"

I walk over to the cabinets hanging over the counter. Opening one of them, I examine the inside till I find a relatively empty space. Making a mental image of it, I close the door and move on to another cabinet.

"Maybe it's in here…"

With Natsuki's back turned to me, I close my eyes and imagine the cabinet again. In the empty space I visualize bottles of chocolate, strawberry and blueberry flavoring.

I fake a cough.

"*Cough* *Cough* Execute *Cough*"

Natsuki turns her head away from her baking.

"What's up with you?" She questions.

I pretend to clear my throat and adjust myself.

"I'm don't know….I-I'm good though."

Natsuki raises an eyebrow before turning back around and beginning to place the batter in a cupcake tray. Using my rubber spatula, she spoons it into little plastic cups in the slots of the tray. I return to the previous cabinet. Opening it, I find bottles of chocolate, strawberry and blueberry flavoring.

"Ah, here it is!" I exclaim as I take the bottles out and place them on the counter.

"You okay with me flavoring the icing?" I ask.

"N-No, that's a good idea, in fact.." Natsuki smirks. "...Especially from someone like you."

"Hey! What's that supposed to mean?" I ask annoyed.

Natsuki laughs. "I'm just kidding, jeez…"

I shrug and return to my frosting, beating it till it's thin enough. I then pull 4 small bowls out of the cabinet and place them my kitchen table. Using a spoon, I distribute the frosting evenly among the bowls. I mix the chocolate, strawberry, and blueberry artificial flavoring into the bowls respectively. The base flavor for the icing is vanilla, so I leave one bowl untouched. As I finish up, Natsuki comes up behind me.

"Outta the way!" She warns as she pushes me out of the way. She sets down a tray of fresh cupcakes next to the bowls.

"One batch done, Two to go!" She exclaims.

"Where's the second one?" I question while examining Natsuki's workspace.

"Already in the oven." She walks over to me. "Here, let's get the third batch ready for when the second one is done.

Natsuki and I proceed to scoop the remaining batter out of the mixing bowls into the tray. She places on top of my stove, then turns to me.

"We're basically done. I'm surprised it was this fast." Natsuki says. I turn to check the clock to see that only an hour and a half has passed.

 _1:15…_

"Hey, you want some lunch?" I ask.

Natsuki hesitantly nods her head 'Yes'. I head over to my pantry and pull out some ramen noodles. Natsuki watches silently as I fill a small pot with water. Anticipating my next move, Natsuki moves the cupcake tray off the stove.

"Thanks." I say as I place the pot down and turn the stove on. "That was nice of you."

"W-Well, you're always so nice to me…." Natsuki blushes.

"Why?"

"Why what?" I question.

"Why are you always so nice to me?" Natsuki snaps. "It's pretty clear you like Sayori. You guys are dating, right?"

"Yeah…"

Natsuki frowns.

"So, why are so nice to me?!" She shouts.

"Well, I guess I'm just a nice person. That's all."

"N-No one is ever just nice to me…" Natsuki stifles a sob.

"Hey…" I say as I walk over to Natsuki. She looks down and clenches her fists.

"Don't say that. I'm your friend, Natsuki. I care about you. So does everyone at the literature club."

Natsuki looks away and begins to cry. I attempt to pull her into a tight embrace, but since she's so small compared to me, I just hold her head against my chest.

"H-Hey! D-Dummy…" She says through her sobs.

"Natsuki, I'm here for you, don't worry. We're all here for you. I know it may not seem like it, but you're loved. We all love you."

Natsuki grips onto me tighter.

"I'm here for you, Natsuki."

Natsuki calms down and looks up at me with tear-filled eyes.

"You're a good friend, Nathan."

We end our embrace and sit in silence for a bit before Natsuki points out the boiling water on the stove. I stand up and place the ramen in the water and stir it around. Natsuki pulls the second batch of cupcakes out of the oven and places the third one in. I finish cooking the ramen and mix it together with the flavoring. Natsuki and I grab our bowls and head for my living room. We sit down on the couch and Natsuki reaches for the remote.

"There's this anime I think you'd like. Let me just find it…" She says as she flips through the catalogue. Suddenly, I hear the doorbell ring.

"I'll get it." I say as I jump up from the couch. I walk over to the door and open it.

"Hi Nathan!~" Sayori says.

"Oh, hi Sayori!" I greet. "What brings you here?"

"Well, I wanted to see if you guys were done so we could hang out!"

"Who is it?" Natsuki calls from the living room.

"It's Sayori." I call back.

"Hi Natsuki!"

"She wants to hang out with us. Sound good?"

"Yeah, that sounds awesome!" Natsuki exclaims excitedly.

Sayori heads for the living room as I go to the kitchen and begin to cook her some ramen. I can hear the girls conversing in the living room. The oven alarm rings and I pull out the cupcakes and place them on the table. Once the ramen is done, I join the girls in the living room.

"Here, I made you lunch." I say as I hand the bowl to Sayori.

"Aww, thanks Nathan!"

"Anything for you." I pat Sayori's head. Natsuki looks away, annoyed.

We continue watching the anime in silence, eating our lunch. Suddenly, Natsuki speaks up.

"Oh, I forgot! We have to frost the cupcakes!"

"Oh, yeah. Well, at least we have Sayori to help us."

Sayori's eyes light up.

"That sounds fun!"

We turn off the TV and head into the kitchen. Counting the cupcakes, we have 36 in total. Sayori grabs the blueberry icing while Natsuki grabs the strawberry. I grab the chocolate and we all begin frosting the cupcakes. In the end, there are 9 cupcakes covered with a single frosting. We stand back and admire our work.

"Well, I should get going." Natsuki says.

"I'll walk you out."

Natsuki gathers her baking supplies and heads for the door. As I say goodbye, she gives me a hug and runs off. Sayori comes up beside me and we watch Natsuki disappear into the distance.

"She's cute, isn't she?" Sayori asks.

"Yeah, but not as cute as you." I put my arm around Sayori's shoulders and rub her head.

"Ehehe!~" Sayori giggles.

"Tomorrow's gonna be fun, isn't it?" I ask.

"Yep! I can't wait!"


	13. Chapter 12: It All Comes Crumbling Down

Chapter 13: It All Comes Crumbling Down

"Nathan...Wake up dear…"

I open my eyes to the sight of Sayori looking down on me. Upon seeing me conscious, Sayori smiles and buries her head in my chest. I wrap an arm around her and lovingly stroke her hair.

"We should get up…" Sayori mumbles.

"Nah, I'm fine like this."

"Ehehe!~"

Eventually, Sayori and I get out of bed. She heads for the shower while I go downstairs and begin making a breakfast of french toast and eggs. While mixing the batter, I hear the doorbell ring.

 _She's here already?_

I leave the kitchen and open up the door.

"Morning Nathan!"

"Morning Natsuki."

Natsuki, already in her school clothes, walks inside and plops her stuff down on the table. She moves the plastic containers holding the cupcakes onto the floor.

"What's for breakfast?" She asks.

"French toast and eggs." I reply.

"Sounds good. Where's Sayori?"

"Shower" I say as I point upstairs.

"Ahh."

I finish with the batter and coat a couple of slices of bread with it and plop it onto a pancake stove I made with the VRT.

"Come and get it." I say once its done.

Natsuki jumps out her chair and rushes over to me. I hand her a plate and grabs the slices on the stove. I make more slices of toast and begin making scrambled eggs. As I crack them into the pan, Sayori comes down stairs.

"Ooo, that smells good!"

I stir the eggs around till their nice and fluffy and serve them to the girls. We all enjoy a nice, peaceful breakfast as the sun continues to rise. We all gather our things and head for school. The girls dump the cupcake containers with me. When I protest, they just run off laughing. I catch up to them as we reach the school. The halls are packed with students preparing their own festival events, chattering amongst themselves as they do so. We reach the clubroom and I open the door with my foot.

"We're here!" Sayori exclaims as I walk through the door.

Monika is already in the clubroom, placing pamphlets on the neatly arranged desks. She greets us as I set down the containers.

"Did they make you carry those all the way here, Nathan?" Monika asks.

"Yep." I reply with a smile.

"Poor thing." She giggles.

The desks Monika deemed unnecessary were pushed together in the back of the room to serve as a concessions stand. Natsuki begins unloading the cupcakes while Sayori and I walk over to Monika. I pick up one of the pamphlets and examine it.

"These came out really good guys." I say as I flip through it.

"Aww, thanks! Sayori and I worked really hard on them." Monika says.

As we continue conversing about the festival, the door opens and Yuri walks in.

"Sorry! I'm so sorry!" She says with a blush. In her hands is a big rolled up piece of paper.

"Oh, don't worry about it Yuri." Monika assures her. "Sayori, help Yuri with the banner."

"Alright!" Sayori exclaims excitedly.

Sayori and Yuri grab some chairs and head to the windows. I grab a broom from the closet and begin sweeping. The clubroom is full of activity as we continue preparing. Natsuki with the cupcakes, Sayori and Yuri with the banner and Monika with the pamphlets. I scrap together a moderate dust pile and put it in the garbage can.

"Nathan! We're missing a cupcake!" Natsuki calls.

I walk over to the concessions table and see that one of the blueberry frosted cupcakes is missing. _Oh yeah, Sayori ate it._

"Oh yeah, I let Sayori have one…" My voice trails off, preparing for a scolding.

"WHAT!" Natsuki yells. She backfists my arm.

"Hey hey, it's not that a big of a deal." I say while rubbing my arm. "It's just one cupcake…"

"Yeah, but now there isn't an even amount! Ugh!"

By now, all the girl's eyes are on us. Sayori opens her mouth to apologize, but Natsuki beats her to the punch.

"You're only letting her have a cupcake because she's having sex with you!"

Everyone gasps.

"N-Natsuki! What the hell! Why would you-"

My scolding is interrupted by Natsuki's laughter.

"Oh my god, I'm KIDDING, jeez…"

I audibly sigh. Sayori buries her head in her hands.

"You sure do like to piss me off, don't you Natsuki?"

"Yep!" She smirks. "Your reactions are absolutely hilariou-"

Natsuki is interrupted by a blood curdling scream. I turn my head to see that Sayori is the source. She puts her hands on the side of her head and drops to the ground, still screaming. We all rush around her.

"Sayori, what's wrong?!" Yuri asks.

"AHHHHHH MAKE IT STOP MAKE IT STOP!"

"Make what stop?!" Natsuki yells.

"THE NOISE AHHHHHHHHHH MAKE IT STOPPPPPP!"

In the midst of the chaos, nobody notices me tap my right temple. _I'll have to choose my words carefully, or I risk being compromised._

"What's happening?" I say.

"It's Monika!" Lewis says. "She's messing with the script! We'll try to suppress her influence. Quickly everyone!"

"Just hang in there Heyde!" Angela shouts. "We almost have everything we need!"

Without ending the connection, I switch my focus over to Sayori. Examining her, it seems the physical space in her ears is what's being manipulated. I quickly undo Monika's tampering and revert it back to normal. Sayori quits screaming and stares at all of us, hysterical with fear.

"Sayori!" I say as I grab her hand. She quickly wraps her arms around me and pulls me into the tightest embrace I've ever been in. She sobs into my shoulder. Natsuki and Yuri pat her back and hold her hand.

"It's okay, It's okay" I say into her ear. "You're safe now…"

"Nathan…" She barely manages to say through her sobs.

"Ok ok, everybody calm down. Let's just, take a minute." I say.

Suddenly, Natsuki collapses on the floor and and starts screaming similar to Sayori.

"AHHHHH NATHAN HELP HELP AHHHHH!"

As I rush over to help Natsuki, Yuri and Sayori collapse too, screaming at the top of their lungs. And then…

vbigg%G^&&SfexhcbbudnebtcgnevnOHVbhbberfniu^%$#vcsbveyvh&byyvyvGOD nuhbvibvi^hebvnv(*vuydbvdyvbITndhin45njnh%bgrb%$4376g4bbbgHURTS66&^jnihf*&gysbiyebingubibegibngi%I%$#bbvbdvhnihb(**ybvhdbvbCANT433ihbcibi&^%vtvtv4fv56fyb8$#vbTHINKrfv #$$vygvtv65uy^tt%bhbbi8nbbb*STRAIGHThhy&&^^bybt$#45c3ssrvb67gbbvbbMONIKAmnnn***hybyb7y5t6gtv^$fyvce ! sdefuyinjunuyb*&^^%r

The noise suddenly stops, leaving a high pitched ringing in my ears. I can faintly hear the girl's screams.

 _Monika…._

I look to see Monika standing over the suffering girls, smiling menacingly.

 _I'm sorry for this…._

I examine the physical space in Monika's ears.

create:value_1[select](execute)

group:value_1(selected_space)(execute) value_1:set:distortion:100(execute)

Monika falls to her knees and joins the choir of screams. As my senses return to me, I turn the girls back to normal. Once they've calmed down, I revert Monika back. Everyone sits in silence, catching their breath.

"I'm sorry Monika, but I had to." I say. Monika shoots me a disgusted glance.

"You're a monster. You lied to me, didn't you?" She stands up. "YOU'RE JUST HERE TO TORTURE ME!"

"Monika, please stay calm, we don't have to-"

The painful static and white noise return once again. I fight desperately to try and stop it, but Monika continues to override my commands. I grab my head and It's a desperate struggle, and the pain only makes it harder to fight back.

Through the horrible static, I hear a voice.

"Nathan, we're done! We're putting you back, hang on!" Lewis shouts.

I stand up and limp over to Monika.

"Get ready." I say with a menacing grin.

"Nathan," Sayori whimpers. "What's happen-"

She's cut short as the world begins to close in on itself. My entire body is condensed into a single point. The white noise hammers into my head, causing a vicious headache. A familiar sharp pain engulfs my body as my senses go numb.

I black out.


	14. Chapter 13: An Explanation

Chapter 14: An Explanation

My entire body hurts. I have a splitting headache. I can't even feel my arms.

 _Am I dead?_

I attempt to move my arms. I feel them lift off the ground into the air. I groggily open my eyes. Lying a few feet away from me is a jumbled mess of brown hair and a school uniform. It seems to be a person.

 _Monika…_

The horrible memories of the past hour come back to me. I remember everything. The pain, the screaming, the struggle….and why I'm here.

Monika jolts to the side before lifting her head up. She looks at me, then at her surroundings. We're back in the Act 3 classroom. The same familiar void pokes its head through the window.

"Nathan…." Monika says timidly. "W-Where are we?"

I stand up slowly, trying not to pass out from being light headed.

"Sit down, Monika." I gesture towards the desk in the middle of the room. "It's time you get that explanation I owe you."

Monika gingerly sits down her chair, as do I.

"First of all, formal introductions. I am Dr. Nathan Heyde, masters degree in Artificial Intelligence and Robotics. I'm 28 years old."

"These are my colleagues, Dr. Lewis Poncho-"

"Hello, Monika." Lewis says.

"-And Dr. Angela Lokos"

"Hello." Angela greets.

"Wait, where's that coming from?" Monika questions.

"In order to understand that, you have to first understand what _this_ is." I make a gesture towards our surroundings.

"This entire world, Monika, is a very complex simulation, made to be exactly like the real world. It's based off our current understanding of the universe, with a physics engine and everything. The people that inhabited it were, as you probably know, just complicated pieces of script."

"You, on the other hand, are a fully sentient AI, created by me, along with others." Monika nods her head understandingly. I continue "We've meticulously designed you so your cognitive function is almost identical to that of a human being."

"Ok, I understand that…" Monika says. "...But why did you create me, Nathan?"

"Oh boy, here we go." Lewis jokes.

"Hush, Lewis." Angela scolds. I laugh.

"Now that's a question with a VERY complicated answer." I take a breath. "The reason why we're doing all this is because, well, it's an experiment."

"An experiment? What do you mean?" Monika questions.

"Right now, what scientists in the real world are doing is attempting to create a realistic simulation of our universe. We're doing it so we can conduct experiments not possible in our universe, both physical and social."

"Okay…" Monika stammers awkwardly.

"Ok, you're probably still confused. You see, Lewis and Angela were documenting everything you've been doing since I came here."

"WHAT?" Monika's face turns red.

"Hey, calm down." I assure her. "They were doing it for research. We were examining your actions, speech patterns, and reactions so we could more easily learn from them."

"Yes, we're working on a..sort-of...personality generator, I guess you call it." Lewis joins in. "We need to populate our model universe with realistic AI so we can do social experiments. Considering there's around 8 billion people and counting alive right now, we're not doing everyone individually."

"Ok, so let me get this straight…" Monika says. "You guys essentially created this place so you could do research on AI and simulated reality?"

"That's the long and short of it." Angela replies.

"Well, I still don't understand where your voices are coming from."

"We're projecting our voices into the 3-D space by translating our voices into lines of code." Angela explains.

"Ahh."

"So, what's going to happen is we're gonna create a realistic simulation of the ENTIRE universe, based off of DDLC, and put you in there with other AI. It'll be like you dreamed." I say.

"R-Really? You're being serious?" Monika asks excitedly.

"Yep. They'll be pulling me out of here, though."

"Ummm, about that Nathan…" Lewis mutters.

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"Nathan, you know what the Law of Conservation of Mass Energy is, right?"

"Yeah, matter cannot be created or destroyed. Why?"

"You see, we overlooked that when we created the VRT. Because the VRT creates matter, it messes with the system. Anything you make gets labeled as part of the game world, and because you created them, it labels YOU as part of the game world."

"Oh no, you don't mean-"

"We're sorry Heyde, but we do mean that." Angela interrupts. "If we attempt to pull you out, it would destroy the simulation and kill Monika."

I clench my fists and audibly sigh.

"Well, what are our options?" I say through my teeth.

"Either we pull you out and start from scratch-"

"You kidding me? We can't afford to do that!" Lewis interrupts.

"Then what can you do?" I snap. Monika flinches.

"Well, we can digitize your mind and turn you into an AI." Angela says. "You'd be in the same boat as Monika, essentially."

"I….I don't really have a choice, do I?"

Silence.

"Fine, FINE. Just do it."

"Nathan, listen. We can turn you into an AI but in order for the world to remain stable you'll still have influence over the script. We're not doing anything till you're okay with it." Lewis says.

"Take your time think about it." Angela adds.

I sit back in my chair, staring intensely at the ceiling. Without warning, Monika grabs my hand. She gives me a faint smile.

I take a deep breath.

"This experiment could possibly be the most important one in human history." I sit up in my chair. "This is a lot bigger than just one life. Who would I be to halt humanity because of own feelings?"

"A coward." Lewis replies.

"Exactly. And Lewis, you know better than anyone…"

"...You're no coward."

"Correct." I pause. "Alright, let's do it."

An awkward silence fills the room.

"So, what happens now?" Monika asks.

"We're gonna disable your cognitive functions, both of you. It'll feel like your sleeping. When you wake, the simulation will be complete, AI and Nathan, your 18 year old avatar will become your real body."

"How long will all that take?" I ask.

"We estimate between 70 and 80 years."

"!"

"Wait…" Monika interrupts. "Won't we remember all this?"

"You won't Monika. And you'll also not have influence over the script." Angela explains. "As for you, Nathan…."

"You're still technically a human, so we can't alter your memory at all. But later on…"

"No, don't. If I somehow manage to do something with the script in the simulation, I'll probably end up going insane if I don't remember this."

"Yeah…"

….

"Goodbye Dr. Poncho. Goodbye, Dr. Lokos."

"Goodbye, Dr. Heyde."

A small static shriek can be heard before silence once again engulfs the room. Monika opens her mouth.

"Thank you, Nathan, for everything. I'm sorry for what happened back their. I just…"

"No need to apologize, Monika." I say.

"Through all this, all the horrible things I've done, you still forgive me."

Monika comes over to me and hugs me.

"I love you, Nathan."

I hug her back.

 _I'm gonna regret this…_

"I love you too, Monika."

"Although I won't remember you in the simulation, I'll still love you. Promise you'll join the literature club, okay?~"

"I promise."

The world fades to black.

 **\- I'm In Control Now: Part 2-**


	15. Chapter 14: Your Reality

Chapter 15: Your Reality

I wake up sitting a padded chair in front of the desk. Hazily, I stand up and examine my surroundings. It appears I'm in a bedroom. In the middle of the room is queen sized bed with ocean blue covers. Next to it is a small redwood desk and the padded chair. The single light hanging from the ceiling illuminates the tan walls. I notice a note sitting on the desk. Picking it up, I read it out loud.

"Hello Nathan…"

"It's me, Lewis. If you're reading this, then the transfer was a success. You are now an AI in the simulation."

 _Yeah, I'm in aren't I?_

I drop the letter and sit down on the bed.

 _Everyone….Everyone I've ever known….they're dead. My family, my colleagues, Lewis and Angela, THEY'RE ALL DEAD!_

I lay down and begin softly crying.

 _I'll never see them again...My home...It's all gone. Everything….just….gone._

I cry harder.

 _My life's work was all for nothing. 28 years. 28 FUCKING YEARS JUST TO GET STUCK IN THIS GODDAMN SIMULATION!_

 _I'm a failure, a goddamn failure. And now I've lost everything...Even Sayori. My entire life was pointless, and it's all my fault. ALL MY FUCKING FAULT!_

My crying has evolved into full on sobbing. I curl up in a ball as the tears continue to flow. A small water stain forms on the bed where my head is.I don't even try to cover my eyes, it wouldn't be worth it. I've never felt worse in my entire life.

 _I wish they had just killed me instead of trapping me here…_

My crying stops as I come to a sudden conclusion: I have depression.

The crying starts up again, more powerful. I put my entire body behind my tears, every ounce of willpower I have flows out of me. After a few minutes, I lay there on the bed, exhausted and out of tears. My face is red and damp as I literally lay in my own sorrow _like the worthless piece of trash I am._

I stay still, dry heaving tears out of my system. Eventually, I give up and close my eyes. I fall asleep without a pillow or blanket.

A familiar ringing jolts me awake; It's my alarm clock. I've never hated sound more in my entire life. It takes every ounce of strength in me to get out of bed and walk to the bedroom door.

 _I'll make some coffee with the VRT…...Wait, can I?_

My somber thoughts are temporarily replaced by questions. Curious, I pick the note back up from where I dropped it.

The note is essentially a rundown of my current situation. My name in this world is, of course, Nathan Heyde. My backstory is I'm a transfer student from America, and today is my first day. A lot of it is small things, like where things are and when things start. One paragraph grabs my eye, however.

"When an AI dies in this world, they still technically exist as code, although they're impossible to bring back. This means that you can die without any consequences regarding the script. You're free to do what you want, Nathan. This is your reality, now."

 _Your reality...those words are meant to mock me._

My sour attitude returns.

 _Screw you, Lewis._

As I sluggishly prepare for school, I formulate a plan. If dying has no consequences, then all I have to do is make everyone at school hate me till I can kill myself without anyone caring.

I head out the door with the determination to be as big of an asshole as possible.


	16. Chapter 15: The New Kid

Chapter 16: The New Kid

Bitter thoughts cloud my mind as I walk out the door onto the catwalk. Walking down the metal stairs, I reach the ground and begin my walk to school. My eyes are fixated on the ground, not caring about anything in the world around. Through my somber thoughts come a spark of curiosity. I lift my head up.

 _It's…..It's….._

The sun shines brightly through the white clouds and illuminates the pinewood forest next to me. Brushed up next to the sidewalk is a small trench of mud, twisting and swirling about. The pine needles give off a slight glimmer. The grass dances as the wind passes through it. The little creatures hiding in the underbrush sing, filling the air with beautiful noise. I stop dead in my tracks.

 _It's beautiful…._

I close my eyes and take a deep breath. Opening them back up, a sense of relief washes over me. _Maybe I was being a bit extreme. It's kinda nice here, I'll stick around for a while._

My thoughts go back to the outside world. My bitter attitude returns, but slightly less so. As I reach the doors of the school, I see nothing has changed. The grass is freshly cut, the gates are a shiny copper, the brick walkway is covered with students. I walk to my classroom and sit down in the back of the room. Some of the students shoot me weird looks. Eventually, the teacher walks in. Her name is Mrs. Omo, a short woman with equally short brown hair. The class settles down as she steps up to the podium.

"Good morning, class. As some of you may know, we have a new student in our class. Would they please come to the front of the room?"

I open my mouth to say something bratty, but I can't bring myself to do it. Instead, I stand up and walk to the front of the room.

"Introduce yourself." Mrs. Omo instructs.

I, again, attempt to say something rude to make a bad first impression.

"Hello. I'm Nathan Heyde and I'm the transfer student from the United States."

I can't find it in me to be an asshole. I idle at the front of the class, examining the people in it. I recognize Monika and Natsuki. _Guess they're in my class…_

"Ah, yes. Class, this is Nathan. Nathan, this is the class of Room 307. Say hello, everyone."

Everyone but Monika and two other girls say hello with a monotone voice.

"So, tell us, what's school like in America?" Mrs. Omo asks.

"Not much different that here." I say expressionlessly.

"Really? I thought they had separate classrooms for each subject."

"Not where I went."

Mrs. Omo sees that I'm uncomfortable and dismisses me back to my seat. She instructs us to pull out our history textbooks. While the lessons begin, I reflect on my breakdown last night. I'll admit, I did overreact a bit. This world isn't necessarily all bad. I helped create it, after all. The problem is I created it with the hope of becoming world famous. I would have been the greatest genius of my generation, but instead I got trapped here. It's kinda like an inventor getting killed by their own invention. _Embarrassing._

My thoughts are interrupted by Mrs. Omo starting the math lesson. I pull out my math textbook and begin working on the problems. Although I've done Algebra before, I still enjoy reviewing it. The lesson is polynomials. Factoring them, solving equations with them, etc.

"Now that we've solved the equation, what's our answer?" Mrs. Omo asks. "Monika?"

"The answer is positive 6 or negative 6." Monika states proudly.

"Sorry, but that's incorrect. Can anyone tell me why?"

The classroom exchanges confused glances. I timidly raise my hand.

"Ah, Nathan?"

I don't look up, but I can feel the class staring at me.

"You can't have a negative side length. It's positive 6."

"Very good, Nathan." Mrs. Omo turns back to the chalkboard. "The equation doesn't care about the context. It's up to you to figure out what makes sense and what doesn't."

Everyone scribbles something down. I move ahead in the workbook, quickly finishing each problem. The flow comes back to me as I skip over steps instead of writing down everything I do. I finish the lesson a good 10 minutes before everyone else and sit idly in my desk, absorbed in my thoughts.

I keep thinking about the note. Lewis said that while they disabled the VRT, I still had some control over the script. I don't feel like using it, however. It wouldn't do anything to bring me back to the real world. I'm stuck here till I die.

"Nathan, did you already finish?" Mrs. Omo asks out loud. The class once again turns to look at me.

"...Yeah"

"Huh, impressive." Mrs. Omo compliments.

I nod my head and stare at my desk.

…

Eventually, the bell rings and Mrs. Omo says her goodbyes. I grab my stuff and head out. While in the hallways, I see Sayori walking with a boy I don't recognize. _He seems…..familiar._

He has short, messy brown hair and yellow eyes. He's slightly taller than Sayori, wearing the same uniform as me. He has a dejected look in his eyes, as if he wants to be somewhere else.

… _..It's the protagonist._

We cross paths and I finally get a good look at the boy. It's him alright. Sayori's taking him to the literature club. _The literature club…._

I want to go to the literature club, but I can't find it in me to. I want to see Sayori, but, with the MC here, I can't bring myself to. _I'm so weak….I just wanna go home and rest._

My sour attitude returns as I make the trek home. The streets are full of activity. Cars zip by. Students walk in groups on the sidewalk, talking and laughing. I quicken my pace, arriving at the brick apartment complex where I live. I walk up the stairs and reach my apartment.

It's a small, surprisingly modern place. The area around the door is hardwood floor with a small welcome mat. Adjacent to the doorframe is a small coat closet. This small area opens up into the living room and kitchen. Mounted on the tan walls is a large TV with numerous entertainment devices connected to it. A loveseat with red cushions and a small wooden coffee table faces the TV. Behind the couch is a black dining table with 6 chairs. Next to it is a walk-in kitchen. A fancy light hangs over the island that's adjacent to the cooking appliances. The kitchen floor is ceramic tile while the rest of the apartment is carpeted.

I place my bag down on the couch and head to my room. I sit down on the bed and pull the blue covers over my head.


	17. Chapter 16: The Festival

Chapter 17: The Festival

It's been about 2 weeks since I first arrived here. Not much has changed. I realized that I can't bring myself to be a downright asshole, so I instead just ignore people and keep to myself. When I'm not focusing on school, I am thinking about the outside world. I want to forget about my old life and move on, but I don't want to forget about my family. My nights are mostly spent looking at the ceiling, stifling cries.

As for school, my plan has been working. Everyone has been leaving my alone.

"Hey, Nathan."

 _Well, mostly._

A tall, slender boy walks up next to me. He has a short haircut and lots of acne on his forehead. His tired, hazel eyes meet my gaze as I turn my head.

"Hey Ben."

That boy is Ben Sugimoto, my only friend here. We met when Mrs. Omo assigned us as partners for a project. Although he was shy when we first met, he became more comfortable around me as time went on. I tried ignore him at first, but he was persistent and broke me. We occasionally talk and work on school stuff together.

"What's up?" Ben asks.

"Same old same old." I reply.

"Amen to that." He laughs as he stuffs his water bottle in his bag.

"So, what you doing for the festival?"

"Sleeping in."

Ben laughs again. "Yeah….You not in a club?"

My thoughts turn over to my time in the literature club.

"Ah…..No."

"Well, you should at least go and check one out. They're fun."

"Hmm…." _This might be my only chance to join the literature club._

"Maybe…"

"Well, you better make a decision fast. Festival's Monday."

It's currently Friday. School just ended and we're walking home. The sun is high in the sky and shines in my face as I walk along the pavement. Ben and I say our goodbyes and head our separate ways. I arrive at my house and step inside, placing my bag down and heading for my bedroom. Rather than jumping in bed like I've been doing, I sit down at my desk. I turn on my computer and pull out a piece of paper. I idle in my seat, searching for inspiration.

Eventually, it comes and I immediately get to work. This poem is different from all my others. For the first time, I put my emotions behind it. Every line, every word is carefully thought out to be mysterious, yet straightforward. After about 2 hours, I finish. Proud of my work, I watch some TV. Sitting on my couch, enjoying some TV after a long day of school, it reminds me of my high school days. A surge of memories comes back to me. I end up lightly crying for a little bit, thinking of all my friends.

Once I calm down and wipe myself off, I decide to make dinner. I pull a pot, fill it up with water and place it on the stove. While the water boils, I pull out some pasta, minced onions and canned tomatoes. I saute the onions and tomatoes in a pan and place the pasta in the boiling water. Once the pasta is done, I drain the water and combine it all into one bowl. I also sprinkle some parmesan cheese on it.

 _Delicious._

I eat my dinner, put away the leftovers and meander around the house till I'm tired and head to bed.

…

Monday came quicker than expected. Before I know it, I'm already on my way to school. The usual scene greets me as I pass by the woods. Despite me seeing it before, it still intrigues me. It's so realistic, so expertly designed to capture the randomness of Mother Nature that it almost convinced me this is the real world. But, I know it's not, and it won't ever be.

I arrive at school later than usual. All the festival preparations should be complete. Students line the hallways, looking at the events from afar. Girls in maid costumes run around the hallway, trying to get people to go to their club's event.

"Onii-chan! Let's go to the cafe!" One of them says as they come up to me.

"I'm good." I wave her off and continue on my way to the literature club.

When I get there, there's already a good amount of people inside. I see the girls and MC standing at the front of the room, all of them looking nervous. I take a cupcake and sit down as Monika steps up to the podium.

"Thank you all for coming! When I first started up the Literature Club, I had always dreamed of our first poetry performance. Now, why don't we get started?"

Monika pulls out her poem and places it in front of her.

"This one is called _The Way They Fly._ "

Her clear, confident voice fills the room. Every word has meaning put into it, only made more effective Monika's expressive tone. She finishes rather quickly, and the room erupts in applause. She steps down and Yuri takes her place.

"M-My poem is called... _A-Afterimage Of a Crimson Eye."_

Yuri stammers awkwardly at first, but her voice soon evolves into the flowing, beautiful voice of a woman. Even now, it's still impressive to see this side of Yuri. She finishes and hurries off the podium as we applaud her. Sayori steps up to the podium.

"This one is called..uh.. _Rainclouds."_

She takes a deep breath and begins reciting the poem. It's bittersweet, as I've come to expect, but it's surprisingly beautiful. Her soft voice compliments the poem very well. She finishes and we applaud her, enticing a large smile. I see her run to the MC, giddy with excitement. She sits down next to him, happy as can be.

I sigh. It's clear to me that I've lost her. All I've been doing is sitting around and pitying myself. I could have had her, but instead, I just did nothing. _I'm worthless, aren't I?_ I lower my head.

 _Just take good care of her, MC._

As I think that, MC steps up to the podium and begins reciting his poem. He's clearly uncomfortable, but his voice remains steady. Hearing the poem, I personally would have recited it in a different way, but since it isn't his poem I can't blame him for that. He finishes and we politely applaud. Natsuki hurries up to platform, eager to finish.

"My poem is called _Jump._ "

The poem is short and simple, yet the meaning is powerful. It has a nice flow and rhyme to it, making it the most enjoyable poem to hear out loud. Before we know it, she's done and we applaud. Natsuki gets back in her seat and Monika steps up to the podium.

"Good job everyone!" Monika says to the club members. "Now, would anybody in the audience like to recite their own poem?" She asks eagerly.

We all turn our heads, looking for a volunteer. My heart races, my face turns red, my breathing becomes heavy.

 _Calm down, take a deep breath._

"No one? C'mon, don't be shy!" Monika says, slightly disappointed.

 _Eh, screw it._

I stand up.

"I'll go."

 **Author's Note:**

 **SPRING BREAK BABY! WOOHOO! You know what that means? More time to work on the story! Trust me, I'm as excited as you. Stick around for more! (Coming soon)**


	18. Chapter 17: Intriguing

Chapter 18: Intriguing

 **Natsuki's POV:**

"I'll go"

I turn my head to see Nathan standing up, clutching a sheet of paper.

"Ah, Nathan! Thank you!" Monika says excitedly.

As I watch Nathan walk to the front of the room, I can't help but wonder about him. For some strange reason, something about him intrigues me. If I had to guess, it would probably be how he looks. He's very tall, the tallest student in the school. That, combined with his light beard, deep voice and formal manner makes him very intimidating. I always hear chatter from the girls in my class about how "cute" he is. If he tried, he could easily be one of the most popular kids in the school.

But, he always just keeps to himself. Rarely ever talks out loud. He's a lot like Yuri in that perspective. Unlike Yuri, however, he's more sad than just shy. _It's his eyes._ His eyes are always sad, staring in a random direction. It's like he's always thinking about something, lost in his own thoughts.

 _But if he's very quiet and self-contained, then why is he about to perform a poem out loud?_

Nathan steps up to the podium, placing his paper in front of him. His eyes quickly scan the classroom, meeting my glance for a short moment.

"My poem is called _This Side._ "

He takes a deep breath. His sad, grey eyes light up as he begins reciting the poem.

"The tunnel caves in, slowly."

"Through the falling debris, the light shines."

"Illuminating this side, before it all goes black."

He pauses. I find myself on the edge of my seat. Before I can adjust myself, he starts up again.

"Here I am, a ghost from another time."

"Through my soul, you see memories."

"Watered down by tears."

He pauses once again. I quickly glance at everyone. They're all clearly impressed. Even Hansuke looks interested. Nathan starts up again.

"It's all muddy. It's all black. It's all over, but I remember…."

Nathan looks up and stares at the clubroom. He has an intense expression that nearly burns a hole in the back wall. I see him give off a small smirk.

"I remember…."

The clubroom erupts in applause. Nathan gives off a slight nod and heads back to his seat. As he walks past, I see his normal sad eyes have already returned. He sits down and is already lost in of thoughts.

 _What is going on in that head of his? I want to know!_

"Well, thank you, Nathan~. Anyone else?" Monika asks.

No one else raises their hand.

"Alright, thank you for coming everyone! Next meeting is tomorrow!"

With that, people begin to leave the classroom. I quickly run up to Monika.

"Oh, hey Natsuki!" She greets.

"Monika! Get Nathan to join!"

"What? Why?" She questions.

When she says that, I realize how clingy and weird I'm being. My face becomes flustered as I struggle to come up with an excuse.

"I-I, w-well, it's just….H-He's good, okay? We could use him!"

Monika smiles. I know what she's thinking. And no, I don't have feelings for him, I just want to know why he acts this way. _Oh god, I do have feelings for him, don't I! EWWWWW!_

"Alright Natsuki…" My thoughts are interrupted by Monika. "I'll go talk to him."

I watch eagerly as Monika catches Nathan walking out of the clubroom. I can faintly hear their conversation.

"Hey! Nathan!"

"Oh, hello Monika. Nice performance." Nathan says politely.

"I can say the same about you. I had no idea you were that good!"

"I'm decent, I guess…"

"Are you kidding me? That poem was great! You seriously should consider joining the literature club!"

Nathan looks back at the clubroom. He has a slight glint in his eye. He turns back to Monika.

"...Maybe"

Nathan quickly turns around and leaves. Monika comes back to us.

"Good job everyone! While nothings for certain, we just might have some new faces tomorrow!"

"Great…" Hansuke groans.

"Oh dear…." Yuri whimpers.

"Oh, it'll be fine guys! We want this club to grow and become something special, right? That's why we did this."

"Yeah, guess so." Hansuke stands up. "If anything, it'll be interesting."

"It'll be fun!" Sayori exclaims.

"Well guys, we're done for the day." Monika glances at the clock. "Enjoy the festival!"

 **Nathan's POV:**

… _.Well, I certainly didn't see that coming._

I hurry through the hallways, trying to get home. I pass by Ben, walking with his other friends.

"Hey Nathan. Heading home?" He asks.

"Yep." I reply

"Lucky bastard..." Ben jokes before waving goodbye.

I wave back and continue on my way. After some walking, I arrive at my apartment complex. I open the door and head for the kitchen. For some reason, I thought it would be a good idea to skip breakfast. I pop some frozen waffles in my toaster and think back to my performance. Or rather, the conversation after it.

Why would Monika come up to **me** specifically? We rarely talk in class. And besides, wouldn't she have feelings for MC? Actually, no. She's not pre-programmed to fall in love with him. _Wait, was she in the first place?_

The waffles jump out of the toaster. I grab them and sit down on a stool near the island. _Well, it doesn't matter anymore. They all have free will, anything can happen._

I look out my window, staring at the woods behind my house. Worrying about social stigma, eating frozen food, looking at the beauty of nature; For the first time, I feel as if I'm home. In the real world.

I smile for the first time in a while.


	19. Chapter 18: Newcomer

Chapter 19: Newcomer

"Now, I want this in by next Friday. That will give you plenty of time to research your topic-"

Mrs. Omo is cut short by the bell. She was giving us a research project to do on our own time. Bonus points if we present it out loud in front of the class. _Like hell I'm doing that._

"Alright, you all have your topic and the due dates. Have a good day."

With that, the classroom erupts in activity. Students begin packing up their things while chatting with their friends. I place the plastic planner the school gave me in my bag. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Monika and Natsuki approach me.

"Hey Nathan!~ You coming to our club meeting?" Monika asks excitedly.

I contemplate it for a bit. Honestly, I'm torn on whether or not to join. I'm not exactly sure what would happen if I joined. It's all pretty new and kinda scary. Suddenly, my mind flashes back to the Act 3 classroom. I remember my anger and frustration at Lewis and Angela. I remember Monika holding me, her confessing her love to me. I remember my promise.

'Promise you'll join the literature club, okay?'

'I promise'

 _Goddamnit._

"Well, I don't have anything else to do this afternoon. Guess I'll come."

Monika's eyes light up. Natsuki attempts to conceal her excitement.

"Yay! Come with us!"

I grab my stuff and follow Monika out of the classroom. We head up the stairs and walk to the clubroom. Once we arrive, Monika excitedly swings open the doors.

"Everyone! We have a new club member!" She exclaims.

"Geez, don't be so vocal about it…" Natsuki murmurs.

I walk inside and see Yuri, Sayori and MC all looking at me. Sayori jumps out of her seat and runs up to greet me.

"Hi! I'm Sayori, the vice-president!" She exclaims proudly.

I reach my hand out.

"Nathan." I say with a serious tone.

"Uh…." Sayori looks at my hand, puzzled. "...oh, right! Ehehe…"

She awkwardly takes my hand and loosely shakes it. MC comes up behind her. He sticks his hand out.

"Hansuke." He says.

"Nathan." I reply.

We give each other a slight nod, indicating a formal truce between us. He steps back as Yuri timidly approaches me. She lowers her head and puts her hand out.

"I-I'm Yuri…"

I grip her hand and shake it.

"Nathan."

Yuri steps back and I examine the scene. It's only now I realize how small everyone is. I, standing at 5'9, tower over everyone in the literature club. Even Yuri only meets my chin level. MC, or Hansuke, stands a little bit taller than Sayori, but smaller than Monika. _Actually, it's not just the literature club. Everyone in this goddamn school is short!_

"Well, it looks like you already know Monika and Natsuki!" Sayori comments. I nod my head.

"We prepared some stuff, in case anyone came today…" Sayori motions to a group of desks pushed together to form a large table. We all move over to the table. Yuri goes to the closet and grabs a tea set. While she begins making the tea, we all sit down and start chatting.

"So Nathan, that poem yesterday was pretty good! Did you make it yourself?"

"Yes." I answer. Both Sayori's and Natsuki's eyes widen.

"Wow, that's pretty impressive!" She praises. I nod my head, accepting the compliment.

"So, your the transfer student, right?" Hansuke asks.

"Yeah. I'm from America." I reply.

"That's cool."

"What was it like there?" Monika adds on. "In America, I mean…"

I sigh and prepare myself. While walking to the club, I made up an alibi in case this ever came up in conversation. It's a combination of both my actual experiences during school and some flat-out lies.

"A bit different than here. Everything was a lot more spaced out. The suburbs here are pretty condensed compared to back home. I could never walk to school."

"Ooo, what about school? What was it like there?" Sayori asks excitedly.

"Elementary and High school were just like here. One classroom the entire day, at least where I went. In Middle school, that's where we had a different classroom each period. A lot more freedom and responsibility. It was nice..."

"...except for the constant bomb and shooting threats."

Everyone jumps back in their seat, surprised.

"D-Did that stuff happen a lot?" Natsuki asks timidly.

"Oh, all the fucking time. Finding a bomb threat note in the bathroom was almost an annual tradition at my middle school."

"Did anyone get hurt?" Monika asks concerningly.

"Nah. It was mostly just threats. Shootings and bombings do happen, thought. Luckily for me, the only bad thing that happened at my school was a kid got stabbed once."

"WHAT?!" Everyone shouts.

"Yeah, guy got into a feud with one of the school drug dealers and got himself stabbed in the gut. He survived, luckily. Drug dealer got a year."

"My goodness, Nathan…" Yuri says as she sits down with the tea set. "Schools in America sounds dangerous."

"It's not the schools, it's the idiots that inhabit them." I say as I reach for a tea cup.

"Did you ever get into any fights?" Hansuke asks.

"I mainly just tried to break them up, actually." I say, taking a sip of tea.

"Well," I place my cup down. "One time my friend named Ronald and some other kid got into a fight in the middle of the hallway. When I got in between them and tried to break it up, the other guy slammed my head into a locker."

"Oh my goodness, were you alright?" Yuri ask, concerned.

"I blacked out and had a concussion. You tell me."

The girls all have a concerned look on their faces. I chuckle to myself and continue on with my story.

"After that experience, my parents tried to transfer schools. Turns out we were the safest school in the area." I laugh.

"Then, they found out about here, all the educational opportunities nearby and whatnot. We both decided it was the best course of action, so they shipped me out in about a month and, well, here I am."

"I can't imagine what it's like not to feel safe in school…" Natsuki comments.

"You get used to it after a while." I joke.

"Well, enough about you getting beat up, Nathan." Monika sighs. "Tell us, what do you like to read?"

"Mainly non-fiction." I reply casually.

I've made it a habit reading history books and scientific articles. It's interesting seeing what the people of this world have figured out. Of course, I highly doubt they'll actually figure out what's going on. But still, watching them learn about their and come up with their own theories is intriguing to me. I'm still a scientist, after all.

"Really? Nothing like, fantasy or sci-fi? That sounds boring!" Sayori whines.

"Sayori!" Monika scolds.

"Oops! Sorry…" Sayori sits back in her seat, her face red with embarrassment.

"It's fine. " I assure her. "Anyway, I do enjoy reading manga on the side."

Natsuki's head perks up.

"Niiice." Hansuke gives me nod of approval.

"Well, that works out." Monika says. "Both Hansuke and Natsuki like manga as well."

"Hey!" Natsuki furrows her eyebrows in frustration as Monika chuckles.

"Speaking of reading, I guess you should know what exactly we do here in the literature club" Monika explains. The others nod their heads in agreement.

"Everyday, we take some time and share a poem we've created with everyone. It's a bit of a challenge, but it'll help us get to know you as a writer. As for the rest of the time…"

"You can read a book or work on poems or something." Sayori chimes in.

"Would working on a story count as literature related?" I ask.

"Of course, silly!~" Monika giggles.

"Cool. I'm gonna do that."

"Whatever floats your boat man." Hansuke says to me.

The conversation continues on for some time. We talk some more about what life is like in America. We also talk about the festival. I praise Yuri for her decorations and Natsuki for her cupcakes.

"What about the pamphlets?" Sayori asks, fishing for a compliment.

"There were pamphlets?" I say jokingly. Apparently, I wasn't obvious enough as both Monika and Sayori look down in embarrassment.

"Haha, I'm kidding! They came out real nice guys."

Their heads perk back up, relieved.

"Ahaha, thank you!~" Monika beams.

We once again continue talking. Eventually, Monika dismisses the club. "Make sure to bring a poem tomorrow!" She reminds us as we pack up. While on my way out, I feel a tap on my shoulder. I turn around to see Hansuke in front of me. He pulls me to the side, out of earshot of the girls.

"What's your game?" He asks in a serious tone.

"What do you mean 'my game'?"

"Don't act dumb. You're just here for the girls, aren't you?" He snaps.

"Does it fucking matter? I here now and I intend to stay. If you gotta problem, take it up with Monika." I grit through my teeth. This guy is starting to piss me off.

"Besides, you probably just came for the girls too."

"What? No! I-I.." His face turns red with embarrassment and anger.

"Oh, please. I saw Sayori dragging you through the hallways my first day. You only stayed for the girls."

"How the hell do you know that?" He nearly shouts.

"Unlike you, I'm not a fucking idiot." I insult as I begin to walk away. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Monika intensely staring at Hansuke and I. Ignoring her, I quickly leave the classroom. Normally, I would enjoy the beautiful orange glow of the setting sun on my walk home, but Hansuke completely ruined my mood.

"Asshole's just jealous he's got competition." I mutter to myself as I walk through my door.

Normally, I would happily go to sleep after coming home from school, but I'm too fired up for sleeping. I decide to watch a comedy special to cool myself down. About 5 minutes in and I'm already calm and laughing. While the show continues playing, I make myself an instant dinner of vegetable ramen. It finishes in about an hour and a half, and once it's done I happily head to bed.

In bed, I reflect on everything that's happened today. I noticed that while I was in the club, my usual bitter attitude went away and I was finally myself. I guess I'm just comfortable around the girls. Being there was certainly fun. I'm excited for tomorrow.

 _Shit, I forgot to write a poem!_

I jump out of my bed and race over to my desk. Pulling out a piece of paper, I write the first thing that comes to me.

 **The Futility of Size**

 **Insignificant, he muttered**

 **For that is what he believed**

 **That he was nothing, nor was anything**

 **Nothing mattered, as time will dilute all**

 **He believed that the texts unseen**

 **The forthcoming books to teach youth**

 **Will have no mention of his name**

 **He believed the tree would grow**

 **The roots would sink and the branches touch the sky**

 **And that his leaf would wither and die**

 **A memory, lost to the upcoming winter**

 **But he did not understand the futility of size,**

 **As he couldn't comprehend size itself**

 **The size of the world he existed was unknown,**

 **But in the world he lived in, he was everything**

 **Nobody bothered to tell him that**

 _Well, not that bad._

I climb back into my bed and fall asleep without any trouble.


	20. Chapter 19: Uneasy Truce

Chapter 20: Uneasy Truce

My alarm clock wakes me up again. I lay in bed, waiting for the strength to get up to come to me. After listening to the ringing for about a minute, I hit the power button and jump out of bed. Half-asleep, I begin my normal morning routine.

I turn on the main room lights and head for the kitchen. I pull out a bowl and some cereal and have breakfast on the island. Once I'm done, I place my dishes in the sink and take a shower. The hot water does an excellent job of waking me up. I still have a cup of coffee afterwards, however. The morning sun rises above the horizon and shines through my windows, giving the room a peaceful vibe.

I meander around for a bit before I have to head out to school. I grab the poem I wrote last night and stuff it in my bag. I also place my laptop in a separate bag and sling the strap over my shoulder as I walk out. The daily commute is sprinkled with other students on their way to school. I make it to school around 5 minutes early and head for my classroom. Monika and Natsuki are already inside the room when I get there.

"Morning Nathan!" They say in unison.

I gingerly wave my hand in reply and sit down in my seat. I notice a manga novel sitting on Natsuki's desk, something she quickly hides once more students pour inside. Mrs. Omo eventually comes in and begins class. It's the same easy stuff we've been doing since I first got here. It seems an eternity passes before the bell finally rings and Mrs. Omo dismisses us. While packing up, Natsuki approaches me.

"Hey, Monika is on cleanup duty. We should get going to the club…" She says with a slight blush.

"Yeah, good idea." I say with a smile. I can't keep up my attitude around Natsuki, she's too cute.

"W-Well?! C'mon then!...dummy" She hurries.

I follow her out of the classroom and up to the clubroom. We walk in and see Yuri sitting at a desk inside.

"Hey Yuri." I greet.

"Oh, h-hi Nathan." She replies, clearly taken off guard.

I smile to myself as I sit down at a desk near the closet. I pull my laptop of it's bag and place it on the desk. While it boots up, I pull out my phone, put my earbuds in, and start listening to some music. I find myself listening to OK Go, a fairly mainstream alternative rock group. When I say they're 'mainstream', I mean they don't necessarily have anything that makes them stand out. They're still amazing, however, so I'll save my breath.

Because the world technically 'restarted', the progress I had on my short story was lost. I start over, but since I've already wrote this part before it goes fairly quickly. As I continue working, the others begin funneling into the clubroom. Hansuke shoots me a nasty look when he walks in. Everyone continues to do their own thing for the majority of the time. Because I'm listening to music, no one comes near me. I start wrapping up the 2nd chapter when Monika calls out to the clubroom.

"Okay everyone! It's time to share poems!"

I begin packing up my things. When I'm done, I see Natsuki standing in front of me.

"Let's share poems…"

"Alright."

I get my poem out of my bag and hand it to her. She takes about a minute to read it before she finally speaks.

"Well, it wasn't THAT bad…" She pauses. "It's a lot different than your poem at the festival."

"Yeah, I kinda just wrote down the first thing that came to me."

"Hey, if you don't put effort into this club, you won't hear the last of it!" Natsuki exclaims.

"Alright, alright, I try a bit harder next time."

"Good." Natsuki smirks. "Now, you should read mine."

Natsuki hands me her poem. It's much like her poem at the festival. Simple and effective. The poem has a nice rhyme to it, something I doubt I could pull off.

"It's a lot like your other poem. Simple, yet effective." Natsuki's face lights up as I continue. "I also really like how the poem rhymes, that's certainly not an easy thing to do."

"Yeah, you're right it's not easy! Only the best can pull that off!" She brags.

"A bit boastful, don't you think?" I joke.

"Well, I'd like to see YOU pull it off!"

"I think I'll take you up on that."

Natsuki's face turns red.

"W-What…"

"Tonight, I'll write a poem that rhymes and you can judge it. Sound good?" I explain.

"Y-Yeah, sure…" Natuki mutters as I hand back the poem.

I move across the room, trying to get to Monika. Before I can get their, Hansuke stops me.

"Hey man, listen…" He pulls me off to the side. "I didn't mean what I said yesterday. It's just I...I was a bit worried you'd try and hit on Sayori. She's my girlfriend, so, you know…"

Hansuke is interrupted by my laughing.

"Oh, that's what this is about?" I chuckle. "Ahaha, you don't have to worry about me. I respect people's boundaries."

"Oh, thanks man. Sorry for being an asshole about it." He apologizes.

"Nah, I'm sorry for being an asshole." I say.

"We good?" He asks.

"We good."

With that, we head our separate ways. I go towards the front of the room.

"Hey Monika."

"Hello, Nathan!~" She says with a smile. "Enjoying your first real meeting?"

"Yeah, it's fun in here." I say.

"That's good to hear!" She exclaims. "Now, we should share our poems."

I take Monika's poem and she takes mine. The subject matter of her poems is certainly different than in the game. Her poems are about nature, or at least using nature as a metaphor. The poems she used to write were about her epiphany, how she realized her entire life was almost meaningless. But, of course, she hasn't had her epiphany and never will. To them, this is the real world. _But not to me…._

"Nathan? Is something wrong?" Monika interrupts my thoughts. I recoil back, startled.

"What? Oh, no no, I'm good…"

"Alright…" Monika moves on. "What did you think?"

"Well, I love anything nature-related, so I'm pretty biased when I say it was amazing."

Monika begins blushing.

"Oh, thank you! Y-Your poem was great too!"

"Ahaha, thanks."

Monika and I hand each other's poems back and head our separate ways. None of the other girls seem interested in sharing with me, so I head back to my seat. Monika notices this and ends the poem sharing time.

"Well guys, we only have 5 more minutes. Guess I'll let you out early." Monika turns to me. "Did you enjoy sharing Nathan?"

"Yeah, it was alright."

"Oh Nathan! I'm sorry! I forgot to share with you!" Sayori exclaims disappointed. I see a jealous expression come over Hansuke's face.

"I-I forgot as well. I must apologize…" Yuri says, embarrassed.

"Oh, you're fine. Don't worry about it." I assure them.

"Yeah, it's not like his poem was good or anything…" Natsuki mutters.

I ignore her and begin packing up my stuff. Everyone else does the same. We say our goodbyes and head our separate ways. I walk home accompanied by my music. Arriving at my apartment, I do my usual nightly routine. Once I'm finished with dinner, I head to my room and begin writing my poem.

…..

"Whew, finished."

I put my pen down and admire my work. The poem not only has rhyme, but a decent flow to it. I quickly glance at the clock to see that it's around 10 o'clock. I eagerly jump into bed and let sleep take me.


	21. Chapter 20: Familiarity

Chapter 21: Familiarity

 _A few days later…_

The bell rings, signaling the end of the day. Mrs. Omo dismisses us and heads out on her way. As for me, I begin packing up my stuff. Natsuki comes up behind me.

"Ugh, you're so slow! Hurry up!" She exasperates.

Natsuki and I have made it a habit of walking to the literature club together. At first, it just seemed like a good idea because we're in the same class, but now it's….different. I don't exactly know how, but it's not just walking together for the sake of walking together.

"Yeah, yeah…" I mutter as I finish packing up my stuff. I follow Natsuki to the staircase. While we walk up to the 3rd floor, she speaks up.

"Hey, did you bring your laptop today?" She asks.

"Yeah, why?"

"Well…" Natsuki's face turns red. "..Y-You said you like manga, right?"

"Yeah, why?"

"Uhh...G-Geez, nevermind!" Natsuki turns away, embarrassed.

We arrive at the clubroom doors and Natsuki quickly heads inside. By now, everyone has arrived. They greet us as we walk in. Natsuki hurries over to the closet. I sit down in my normal seat and begin to pull out my laptop. I quickly glance at Natsuki and see she's holding a manga novel. The title reads 'Parfait Girls'.

… _...Oh…..OH_

I realize that Natsuki was asking if I had my laptop because she wanted to read with me. With this in mind, I quickly put away my laptop and hurry over to her. She's standing inside the closet, her back turned to me.

"Hey Natsuki."

Natsuki turns around, startled.

"Huh? Oh, hi Nathan…"

"So, I noticed you were reading, I think it was 'Parfait Girls'."

"Oh, do you know it?"

"Yeah, I read the first issue once. I always wanted to continue but couldn't find the 2nd one anywhere."

"Really?" Natsuki's eyes light up. "I-I have the whole collection! We can read it if you want, or whatever, I don't care."

"Sure, I'll read it with you."

Natsuki barely manages to contain her excitement as she roots through her manga collection. She motions for me to sit down next to the closet. I comply and she sits down next to me. She hands me the novel and I begin reading.

The experience isn't much different than the one I had previously. Natsuki points out little jokes and subtle references in the book, explaining some things along the way. However, this time her words aren't as artificial. There's a sort of freedom in her speech that I haven't noticed before. It's an unexplainable feeling, hearing genuine speech for the first time in a long while.

Lost in my thoughts, I don't notice Natsuki scooching closer and closer to me. Our shoulders are nearly touching at this point. I turn my head and give her a sly smile.

"Uu-!"

She notices how close we are and scoots back a good couple inches. I shrug and return to my reading. Natsuki attempts to sneakily recover her lost ground. We're near the end of the novel when Monika calls out to the clubroom.

"Okay everyone! It's time to share poems!"

Natsuki hands me the novel as we stand up.

"You want me to finish this?" I ask.

"Y-Yeah, duh….dummy."

I smile at Natsuki's tsundere shenanigans. I don't care what she says, she is cute.

Sharing poems goes like usual. I do my usual cycle. Natsuki, Monika, Hansuke, Yuri and finally Sayori. I try to stay away from Sayori so I don't ruin my mood. Usually, it fails and I end up melancholy for the rest of club meeting. That's partially why I use my laptop, to avoid talking to the girls.

It's not healthy, but I don't see a better alternative.

I finish sharing my poem and head back to my seat, waiting for the go ahead from Monika to head home. Instead, she calls us to the front of the room.

"So, I've noticed that our club meetings have been getting a bit stale. I wanted to spice things up, so every Friday we're gonna do something fun! Sound good?"

"Yeah!"

"Cool."

"Interesting…"

"Great! Now, what should we do tomorrow?"

Everyone ponders for a moment. I look up and notice pull-down projector screen on top of the chalkboard.

"We could use that and watch a movie or something." I point to the screen. Everyone turns and looks at it.

"Well, do we have a projector?" Monika asks.

"Yeah, there's one in the closet." Natsuki replies.

"Then I think that's wonderful idea! Any objections?"

No one says a word.

"Great! What should we watch?"

"Ooo! I have this really funny movie that me and Hansuke used to watch when we were kids!" Sayori exclaims.

I see Hansuke blush with embarrassment.

"That sounds like fun, Sayori. We'll watch that." Monika turns to the rest of us. "Well, I'll see you guys tomorrow! Have a great day!"

With that, we all pack up and head our separate ways. The rest of the day goes as usual, arriving at home, doing schoolwork, making dinner and finally, heading to bed.

….

The next morning arrives too quickly. I drag myself out of bed and head straight for my kitchen. This time, I actually do have a coffee machine. I brew some french vanilla and sit down on my couch, waiting for my strength to return to me. It eventually does and I continue my morning routine as usual. I take a shower, eat some breakfast, pack up my things and head out on my merry way.

I make it to school and find my classroom. I open the doors and see that it's only Natsuki inside.

"Morning Nathan!~" She says with a smile.

"Morning. Why are you here so early?"

"I…" Natsuki struggles to find her words. "I just woke up early, ok? Jeez!"

"Alright" I say as I sit down. I notice that Natsuki actually looks fairly tired.

"Hey, Natsuki…" I call out.

"Yeah?"

"Do you drink coffee?"

"No, why do you ask?"

"Well, you look kinda tired and I wanted to get you some."

Natsuki looks taken aback. She fumbles to find a response. I stand up and walk over to her.

"C'mon, I'll buy you a cup."

"Y-You don't have to, dummy…"

"Oh please, It would be my pleasure."

Natsuki fidgets in her seat before finally standing up. We walk to the cafeteria and head for the coffee vending machines. I buy her some french vanilla coffee.

"Now what you do is dilute it with creme and sweet'n low." I say while pointing over to the condiments station. She puts 1 creme and 2 sweet'n low in her drink before taking a sip.

"It's good…" She says. She takes a big swig. "Ahh, HOT!"

She spits out her coffee. Unfortunately, I was standing right in front of her. Coffee gets all over my uniform. It hurts, but only little bit. I sit in shock as Natsuki looks at me, terrified.

"OH MY GOD! I DIDN'T MEAN TO! I'M SO SORRY I'M SO-"

Natsuki is interrupted by my laughter. She looks at me, utterly confused.

"Ahaha, Natsuki, you're fine." I chuckle. " It's my fault for not warning you."

"Y-Yeah! You've should have told me, idiot!"

I continue laughing as I grab some napkins and wipe myself down. The coffee leaves a light stain on my jacket, but I don't mind. Natsuki and I walk back to class silently. She holds her cup of coffee, taking small sips from it at a time.

"Are you sure it's okay?" She asks timidly.

"Trust me, it's fine. Nothing to worry about." I assure her.

"...You're a good friend, Nathan."

"Thanks Natsuki. You are too."

"No I'm not…" She lowers her head.

"Hey, don't say that! You're a good friend. After all, you let me read manga with you. That was sweet of you."

Natsuki begins blushing.

"D-Don't say things like that, dummy…"

I chuckle to myself as we arrive at the classroom. Upon entering, Monika immediately walks over to me.

"Nathan! What happened to your jacket?"

"Ahaha, yeah, I kinda spilled some coffee this morning…"

Out of the corner of my eye, I see Natsuki breathe a sigh a relief.

"You should be more careful. I don't want to burn yourself, you know!"

"Ehh, no promises." I joke as I sit down.

Monika furrows her eyebrows in frustration as Mrs. Omo enters the room. She steps up to the podium and begins class.

….

"Have a good weekend everybody!" Mrs. Omo exclaims as the bell rings. Monika, Natsuki and I all walk together to the clubroom.

"You guys excited?" Monika asks.

"Yeah!" Natsuki exclaims excitedly.

"Well…" I say as we reach the clubroom doors. "It'll be interesting to see what you people consider _comedy._ "


	22. Chapter 21: Unfortunate Circumstances I

Chapter 21: Brought Together Under Unfortunate Circumstances (Part 1)

Monika opens to clubroom doors, revealing that we're the first ones to arrive. We all set our stuff down and begin preparing for the movie. Natsuki and Monika wheel the projector out of the closet and I pull down the screen, covering up the chalkboard. Yuri walks in and helps us arrange the desks so that they're not in the way of the projector.

Finally, Sayori and Hansuke arrive. They walk into the clubroom holding hands, which gives me a slight heartache.

"Hi everyone!" Sayori exclaims.

"Hey Sayori! Hey Hansuke!" The girls greet.

Hansuke and I exchange a slight nod. Sayori walks over to the projector, movie in hand. Suddenly, she stops dead in her tracks.

"Ooo, what about snacks? You need snacks to watch a movie!"

We all exchange glances with each other.

"I, guess I'll make some tea." Yuri comments.

"Sounds good Yuri." Monika says. "Anyone else?"

"I have some money, I'll go to the vending machine." Natsuki says.

"Alright, we'll wait for you."

"Nah, it's okay. Start without me."

"You sure?" Monika asks.

"Yeah, I won't be gone long."

With that, Natsuki hurries out of the clubroom. Sayori puts the movie in the projector and the opening logos begin playing. I sit back in my seat, prepared for an experience.

 **Natsuki's POV:**

I quickly scan the hallways and see that there's no vending machines in sight. I decide to head to the cafeteria because I know there's vending machines there. While on my way, I wonder about what Nathan would like to eat. I barely see him eat at all, and when I do, it's almost nothing. Does his host family not give him food either?

Lost in my thoughts, I don't notice somebody trailing me. Before I can do anything, he comes up behind me and grabs my shoulders. In an instant, he covers my mouth and shoves me into a nearby storage closet.

Inside, he immediately begins to take off my jacket. His powerful hands quickly slide it off, leaving me slightly more exposed. The figure uses his right hand to cover my mouth and places his left on my chest. He moves his head toward mine.

"Don't fight it. Let it happen." He whispers, aroused.

I finally get a good look at him. He has short, gray hair and hazel eyes. He looks familiar, but I'm too focused on trying to break free to properly identify him. I try to push his hands away, but his grip remains strong. I throw a couple punches at his shoulders, attempting to weaken his hold on me. He mutters obscenities under his breath before retaliating my blows by smacking me in the face. The sting lingers as he moves his hands up my chest, reaching my neck. Suddenly, his hand shoots down my shirt and begins fondling me.

I'm helpless. The only thing I can do is cry as he strips me of both my clothes and my dignity.

 _Nathan, please save me…._

 **Nathan's POV:**

The movie begins playing, but I'm not focused on it. I'm more worried about Natsuki. She should be back by now.

I sigh. _Guess I have no other choice._

Set:Changes=(Client_Side)

 _Changes set to client side._

Identify:AI_Avatar=(Natsuki-1)

 _Avatar Located._

Highlight:AI_Avatar=(Natsuki-1)

 _Avatar Highlighted._

Opacity_Decrease:Physical_World=80

 _Decreasing._

Returning to the world, I see my effect of my actions. Everything around me is slightly transparent. I can vaguely see through the clubroom walls into other classrooms. While the people still look normal, the physical space around them is almost nothing. However, one thing does stand out. I see a brightly lit up figure standing in what seems to be a closet. The figure looks to be in a struggle against another darker figure. It's Natsuki, and she's in trouble.

Adrenaline shoots its way through my body. I get out of my seat and head over to Monika.

"Hey, I'ma go find Natsuki."

"Oh, I'm sure she's fine. Come on, let's watch the movie together!~"

"Sorry, but I'm not taking my chances. I'll only be a minute, alright?"

Monika looks disappointed, but she lets me go. I casually walk out of the clubroom before going into a full sprint. My eyes are fixated on Natsuki. Making my way through the hall is more difficult due to the fact I can't see the physical world clearly. It takes a bit, but I finally manage to make it to the closet door. Now that I'm close, I finally get a good look at the situation. It seems Natsuki is…. _What the hell?!_

Undo:Changes=(Client_Side)

 _Changes reversed._

I swing open the door and see Natsuki and Ben standing inside. Ben has one hand over Natsuki's mouth and the other down her shirt. Both of them look at me, shocked. No one can say anything before I throw a right hook into the side of Ben's head. He stumbles back, releasing his grip on Natsuki. She rushes out of the closet and gets behind me, her arms tightly wrapped around me. Ben regains his balance, and I throw another punch at him. This one sends him flying into the shelves behind him. He hits his head and falls to the ground. Janitorial supplies fall on top of him.

"What the fuck is wrong with you Ben?!" I shout, barely containing my anger.

Ben looks up at me, terrified. He has one hand on his head and the other one trying to cover his bloody nose. I take a deep breath and barely manage to contain my anger. I can feel myself shaking with rage.

"Listen here you perverted sonofabitch. NEVER come near me or Natsuki ever again, and we just might not get the authorities involved. Understand?"

He nods his head, still visibly scared.

"Now get the fuck out of my sight." I grit through my teeth.

Ben quickly stands up and rushes past Natsuki and I, headed for the front of the school. A moment passes before Natsuki collapses to her knees. I lean down and wrap my arms around her. She sobs into my shoulder as I gently pat her on the back.

"Shh, Shh, it's okay, it's okay. I'm here now, you're safe." I whisper into her ear.

We stay like this for a short amount of time before Natsuki lets go off me. She hurries into the closet and retrieves her jacket before rushing back into my arms.

"You wanna go home?" I ask.

She nods her head. I lead her back to the clubroom. She waits outside as I walk inside. Everyone is fixated on the movie. I tap Monika on the shoulder and motion her over to the door.

"Hey, is everything alright?" She asks.

"Well, I found Natsuki. She was puking her guts out in the bathroom. I'm gonna walk her home, okay?"

Monika gives a dejected look.

"Awww, okay. Will you be coming back?"

"I'm not sure. Here…" I pull out my phone. "Give me your number and I'll call you."

Monika's face lights up as she grabs my phone and inputs her number. I thank her, say my goodbyes, grab Natsuki's stuff, and head out of the clubroom. Upon leaving, Natsuki rushes up to me and grabs onto my arm. I let her hold onto me as we walk out of the school.

"Where's your house?" I ask. Natsuki doesn't answer.

"Natsuki, where's your house?" I ask again.

She strengthens her grip on my arm and looks down at the sidewalk.

"I don't wanna go home."

"Oh, you wanna go back to the clubroom?"

"No….I don't wanna go to my home."

"Natsuki…." I take a breath. I should have expected this. "...Ok. We can go to my house if you want."

Natsuki nods her head and we begin walking. While the environment is as beautiful as ever, the tension in the air is so thick you could cut it with a knife. We arrive at my house without a single word. Natsuki follows me inside. I place both of our stuff down on the bench next to the door. Natsuki sits on the couch as I walk to the kitchen.

"You want anything?" I ask. Natsuki doesn't respond. I guess she's still a little shaken up after what Ben did. _That bastard, I'll fuck him up the next time he even comes near Natsuki._

I fill up two glasses of water and sit down next to Natsuki. After I set down the glasses on the table, she pulls me into a tight embrace. I wrap my arms around her in return.

"Thank you….so much…." She says through her sobs.

"Shh, Shh. It's alright." I say as I gently stroke her hair. She soon calms down and I finally ask the question.

"So Natsuki, please explain to me why you don't wanna go to your home."

She looks down, embarrassed. I wrap an arm around her.

"It's alright, you can tell me anything. I'm always here for you."

Natsuki takes a deep breath.

"It's…..It's my dad. He….I...God, I don't wanna talk about it!"

"Natsuki, I can't help you if I don't know what the problem is. Please, just explain, no matter how….painful it may be."

"Fine, I guess I can't go back." She folds her hands in her lap. "Money has always been tight in my family. We managed to get along, though. But when my mom passed, my dad changed. He was always strict, wanting me to focus on school above all else. But when my mom wasn't around to help support us, he kept urging me to get a job. But I don't wanna a job! School is hard enough as it is!"

She pauses, taking a moment to regain herself.

"Anyways, we got into a lot of fights about it. Hurt each other in more ways than one…." Natsuki looks away, embarrassed.

"The reason I don't want to go home is because my dad is home right now. He works himself half to death, 9-5 with overtime just to provide for us. He always exhausted, and when he's exhausted he gets pretty mad when we argue….But he's right you know! I do need to get a job, to finally grow up like he's been telling me, but I'm not ready!"

"I know the reason he keeps pressuring me is because deep down he loves me. He cares about me, but has a hard time of showing it because of everything."

"Hmm." I say as I take a long sip of water. Placing my glass back down, I give my input.

"Well Natsuki, from what I understand, you have two options."

"Option one, you do what he says. You stop going to school and get a job so you can support yourself and your family."

Natsuki gives me a look that's a mixture of shock, anger and terror.

" _Or,_ Option two. This is gonna sound weird, but you could stay with me."

Natsuki raises an eyebrow.

"My parents send me a weekly allowance, and you could sleep in my room. I would be able to support you."

An awkward silence fills the room before Natsuki finally speaks up.

"I'd like that."

"Like what?"

"Like living with you." Natsuki says, her face almost completely red.

"Alright, cool." I pause. "But, there's still one thing. Your dad."

"I-Is there anything we can even do?" she asks.

"Well, I do have an idea."

Natsuki's head perks up.

"Alright, listen." I give Natsuki a serious look. "I want you to go to your home. I want you to tell your dad about this."

"WHAT?" Natsuki shouts. "Are you crazy?!"

"I know, I know, but trust me. This is the best option. If what you said is true, then everything will be alright." I say as I stand up.

"But just in case, I'm coming with you." I motion towards the door. "C'mon, let's go."

Natsuki reluctantly stands up and follows me out of the apartment. While she guides me to her house, I inform he on what to say.

"So, tell your dad that, your boyfriend let's call it, offered you to live with him. Tell him that I'll be able to support you and keep you safe and what not. Alright?"

"Alright." Natsuki says.

We walk for a little while longer before arriving at her house. I stay by the street as Natsuki walks up to the door. She looks back at me, scared. I give her a thumbs up and mouth 'You can do it!'. She gives a faint smile before turning back to the door.

She puts her hand on the doorknob and gently opens the door.


	23. Chapter 22: Unfortunate Circumstances II

Chapter 22: Brought Together Under Unfortunate Circumstances (Part 2)

 **Natsuki's POV:**

The door creaks open, and I'm greeted by a familiar yet scary site. My home. Nervously cracking my knuckles, I slowly walk into the house. My eyes dart from side to side as I feel a beat of sweat form in my eyebrow. I think of Nathan out by the street and how he'll come and save me if anything happens.

I take a deep breath. _I can do this, I can do this…_

Passing by the large door frame between the front hall and the living room, I stop dead in my tracks. Sitting on the couch with his arm on his forehead is my dad. His eyes are closed, but I can tell he's awake.

I choke up. I can barely breath. I'm afraid of what's going to happen.

"D-Dad…" I mutter quietly. He doesn't hear me.

"Dad…." I say louder.

"What?" He grunts. I freeze once again. A moment passes before he speaks up again.

"What?!" He says louder, clearly annoyed.

"I...I...I have a b-boyfriend…" My voice trails off. He takes his arm off his head and gives me a strange look.

"You what?" He asks, confused.

"I have a boyfriend…." I pause, bracing myself. Instead, he just stares at me blankly.

"He said..He...I could live with him. He has money, and can feed me, take me to school, and keep me safe!"

"So...Um…" I mutter.

My dad stands up. The look on his face is one I don't understand, but it still scares me. He begins to walk towards me, making be visibly shake with fear. As he gets closer, I prepare myself to run for the door, to scream for Nathan to come help me.

Towering over me, he sighs and finally speaks.

"...About time."

"Huh?"

"I said it's about time you grew up, found a way to support yourself."

I stare at him, completely dumbfounded. _What did he just say?_

"Well, do you love him?" He asks.

"I...Yes, yes I do. And he loves me."

 _At least I think he does._

"You know, this reminds me of your mom and I. She moved in with me to get away from her parents too, cept' we we're in college."

I'm shocked. He doesn't talk about Mom much, and when he does he usually gets either really mad or sad. This time however, there's a look of blissful nostalgia in his eyes.

"I'm...going to get my stuff…" I finally say.

"Alright." He replies before sitting back down.

I quickly head up to my room. Grabbing my suitcase out of my closet, I fill it with my clothes and all the money I have. In a separate bag, I place what's left of my manga collection. The rest of it's in the clubroom. Once I'm finished packing up, I head downstairs. I pass by the living room once more and see my dad in the same place I found him last time.

"Natsuki…" He says as I walk by.

"Yeah?"

"Stay safe."

"Okay. Goodbye, Dad."

"Bye."

 **Nathan's POV:**

After pacing nervously on the sidewalk for a couple minutes, I see Natsuki walk out of her house with a suitcase and large bag.

"How'd it go?" I ask as I take the bag from Natsuki.

"It went...well. He was surprisingly calm."

"See? I told you you'd be fine." I chuckle. "Did you give any specifics about me?"

"No, I just said you were my boyfriend."

"Ok, good."

We shortly arrive back at my apartment. Natsuki puts her stuff down in my bedroom as I prepare dinner. Keeping it simple, I put a frozen pizza in the oven and fill up our water glasses from earlier. Natsuki sits down on a stool next to the island. I, meanwhile, stand.

"Hey Nathan…"

"Yeah Natsuki?"

"Why did you do all these things for me?" She asks timidly.

I smile and walk around the island to Natsuki's side. She gets out of her chair and looks up at me.

"Because Natsuki…" I grab her hands and look into her eyes.

"I love you."

I mean it when I say that. This isn't just a robot with complex speech patterns I'm saying this to. It's something with genuine emotions, a genuine personality. It's not a mixture of pretending for the experiment and my actual feelings, like it was with Sayori. These are my real feelings.

Natsuki's face turns completely red.

"I….I!" She buries her head into my chest.

"You know I love you too, dummy. Like… a lot."

I wrap my arms tightly around her. She does the same to me.

"It makes me happy to hear that." I say as I soften my grip. Natsuki takes the indication and loosens her hold as well. We eventually fully release each other. Looking back at the clock, I notice that the club is still going on. I pull out my phone and call Monika.

"Yes, Hello?" She asks.

"Hey Monika, it's Nathan. Just a quick heads up, I can't come back for the rest of the meeting. Got other shit going on. Sorry.

"Oh, no worries! I look forward to seeing you on Monday.~"

"Yeah, same."

"Tell Natsuki I hope she feels better!"

"I will. Bye Monika."

"Bye!"

I hang up and place my phone on the island.

"You got Monika's phone number, huh?" Natsuki comments.

"Yeah, which reminds me…"

While the pizza is cooking, I give Natsuki a tour of the house and a rundown of the basics. We exchange phone numbers and I gave her a spare set of keys.

"As for the sleeping situation, you can take my bed and I'll take the couch. Sound good?"

"Yeah, sure…"

I can assume she wants to sleep in the same bed as me, but it's a little too early in the relationship for that. Once I'm done with my explanation, I pull the pizza out of the oven. We each take multiple slices and sit down on the couch. Natsuki finds a cute looking anime for us to watch. I reluctantly agree and we spend the next few hours watching TV and eating food. Later in the evening, Natsuki falls asleep next to me. Rather than disturb her by going to my bed, I lay down on the couch as well. The anime plays in the background as I doze off.

 _A few hours later…_

"AHHH!"

My eyes shoot open, startled by the noise. I prop myself up on my hands and examine the poorly lit room for the source. Quickly glancing at the floor reveals that it was Natsuki that screamed. From the looks of it, she fell off the couch.

"Natsuki, you okay?" I say into the darkness.

"Yeah, I'm fine…" She says as she crawls back onto the couch.

I sit up straight and place my arm around her. The room is eerily silent, as my TV turned off while we were sleeping. I turn my head and glance at the digital clock in the kitchen.

"It's a bit early, but you want breakfast?" I ask.

"Sure."

I hop off the couch and head for the kitchen, Natsuki slowly trailing behind. I make out a light switch and turn it on. The red stained glass lamp hanging over the island warmly illuminates my apartment as I search the cabinets. I pull out some cereal and bowls and place them on the island. Natsuki starts filling the bowls up while I move over to the coffee machine.

"Coffee?" I ask.

"Yeah!" Natsuki exclaims.

"Alright, just don't spit it all over me this time." I tease. Natsuki furrows her eyebrows, annoyed.

I fill up the machine with water and make two cups of French Vanilla. We each put in our respective amounts of cream and Sweet'N Low. Once everything is done, we return to the couch and continue where we left off. The sun peaks its head over the horizon and shines through the windows as we finish our breakfast.

"Gonna be a fun weekend, huh?" I ask.

"Yep!"

I wrap an arm around Natsuki and smile to myself. While I'm still not over my family, I've accepted my situation and made the best of it.

I'm finally not alone in this universe.


	24. Chapter 23: Migraine

Chapter 23: Migraine

Rather than my alarm clock, what feels like someone pounding on my head with a hammer wakes me up. Experiencing this kind of pain while barely conscious puts me into shock for a bit. I actually think I'm dead for a couple seconds.

"Ohhhhh…." I groan.

I hear faint footsteps approaching before they are replaced by the sound of a door opening. I open my eyes to see Natsuki slogging out of my bedroom. She rubs her eyes and quietly yawns as she walks over to me.

"Something wrong?" Natsuki asks, half asleep.

"My head, fuck…."

"Oh c'mon, lemme see…" Natsuki sits down beside me. She's wearing a white onesie with pink polka-dots. She places her hand on my forehead, checking for a fever.

"Oh yeah, geez…" She pulls hand away. "What happened to you?" She scolds.

"Eating shit the entire weekend, that's what happened."

Natsuki and I went a little bit crazy when it comes to food the past couple of days. We basically only had junk food the entire weekend. Natsuki needs to eat some more, so she's fine. I, on the other hand, have to watch what I eat or I regret it. This isn't the first time this has happened, either. When I was in university, after every hardcore party I went to I'd have a migraine. I didn't have to drink anything, long as I had a lot of junk food. Getting wasted did help in screwing myself over, however.

"Ugh, you're like an old man!" Natsuki teases. "Can you stand up, at least?"

"Doubtful. I'll probably throw up."

"Ewww!" Natsuki makes a disgusted face. She stands up and rushes over to the kitchen. I hear her rustling around in the cabinets before she returns with a large plastic bowl.

"If you have to puke, do it here." She says, placing the bowl on the floor next to my head. "No sense in getting my carpets nasty."

" _Your_ carpets?!"

"Yep!" Natsuki says with a smirk, causing me to smile through the pain. It makes me happy to see she's gotten comfortable here. Things between us are still a bit awkward, but stuff like that comes with time.

I sigh. "Just go get me some headache medicine."

Natsuki heads back into my bedroom. While she's gone, I only have the pain to focus on. It hurts like a motherfucker. I still haven't woken up fully, and the mind-numbing pain isn't helping. It feels like I went 9 rounds with a goddamn kangaroo.

"Ibuprofen or Almotriptan?" Natsuki calls from my room.

"Almotriptan" I reply weakly.

Natsuki comes out of my room with a glass of water in one hand and a medicine bottle in the other. I sit up on the couch, which only makes my head hurt more. She hands me 2 pills and the glass of water. I take the pills and swallow them while simultaneously putting the glass back on the table.

"You swallow pills without water?"

I nod my head. As the pills go down my throat, I imagine them immediately working. I imagine the pain suddenly stopping, like it's some miracle drug from the future. The pain lessens a tiny bit. _Placebo effect at its finest, ladies and gentlemen._

"You're not going to school today" Natsuki comments.

"No duh." I reply.

"...and I'm gonna stay home too."

"What? No, you're going."

"Huh? Why?" Natsuki protests.

"Just because I'm sick doesn't mean you can skip school. Education is important."

Natsuki looks down. She replies, her voice shaky.

"But….Ben…."

I immediately feel terrible. Look at me, forcing my girlfriend to go to school when I know her attempted rapist is there. In her class too! I'm a fucking idiot.

"Oh shit, sorry. I forgot." I pause. "Yeah, no, you're not going anywhere if I don't think you're gonna be okay."

"Thanks…" Natsuki sits down next to me. "That makes me feel safe."

"Of course, Natsuki. Anything for you." I say as I pull her in for a quick hug. While my grip is strong, hers is weaker to avoid hurting me.

"Alright…" Natsuki says as we let go off each other. "What now?"

"What happens now is I'm gonna get some rest." I say as I lay down.

"Oh yeah, call Monika and tell her I'm sick."

"Won't that seems suspicious?" Natsuki asks, concerned.

"If you're not going, which you're not, it's gonna seem suspicious regardless."

"Besides," I add. "Who cares about all that? Social stigma and gossip are stupid anyway."

"We can just say we were both sick, dummy!" Natsuki retorts. "No need to make it awkward!"

"Fair point."

Natsuki stands up and walks over to the kitchen as I lay myself back down.

"Breakfast?"

"It'll probably upset my stomach. Just some water." I say. I had already finished the small glass Natsuki gave me previously.

"Ok."

Natsuki fills up another glass and sets it down next to me. She grabs a couple of dishes lying about the house and puts them in the sink. We try to keep a clean house, and the best way to do that is clean up after you're done. While Natsuki continues with some housework, I pass out on the couch.

 **Natsuki's POV:**

Nathan has been asleep for around 3 hours now. I haven't done much, besides some chores. I'm curled up in my, well, _his_ bed and reading some manga. Which reminds me, I need to bring the rest of my collection home. I only kept it at school so my dad wouldn't find it.

….

I read some more before finding a good stopping spot and putting the novel down. I decide to make lunch and head for the kitchen. I quickly glance at Nathan on my way over. He's still sound asleep. It's kinda funny, actually. Normally, he's so brazen and lively, it's weird to see him sleeping so peacefully. It makes me smile. I hope he gets better…

I'm disappointed to see that Nathan doesn't have the ingredients necessary to make yakitori, one of my favorites. I end up just making two separate bento boxes for us with sushi, meat and assorted fruits and vegetables. I eat mine at the counter while watching some anime on my phone. I place Nathan's in the fridge so it's still good when he wakes up. Almost if on cue, I see Nathan out stretch his arms and rub his eyes.

"Morning sleepyhead." I tease.

"Morning." He grumbles. "What time is it?"

"You've been asleep for 3 hours."

"Thanks…"

Nathan stands up and trudges over to the shower. I continue eating my bento while he cleans himself up. I find myself looking out the large window in the living room. On a day this nice, I kinda wanna go for a walk. But at the same time, I don't feel very safe going alone. _Maybe I can get Nathan to come with me..._

After a couple of minutes, Nathan comes out of his room in fresh clothes with a smile on his face.

"Hey. Lunch is in the fridge."

Nathan takes out the bento I made and walks over to me.

"Thanks sweetie~" He says as he kisses me on the forehead. I feel my face get red with embarrassment.

"Hey! Don't do that!" I protest. He laughs and sits down next to me.

I'm thankful that he understands me. I love it when he does these cute little things, but I don't exactly know how to express that I like it. Nathan doesn't have a problem with it, so he's the more passionate one in the relationship.

"This is great Natsuki!" Nathan compliments, snapping me out of my thoughts.

"Oh..t-thanks." I stammer.

Nathan returns to his food while I build up the courage to ask him a question.

"Something on your mind?" He asks.

"Yeah...a little bit. It's really nice out."

Nathan looks out the window, trying to confirm my statement.

"Yeah, it is."

"I was kinda thinking, like, maybe we could go out on a walk...Not that we have to, though!"

"A walk sounds great! I know a walking trail around here, let's go there!"

"Awesome!"

Nathan finishes up his lunch and we head outside. The trail he brings us to is a vehicle trail through the wilderness, so it's very flat and open. Nathan wraps his arm around me while we walk. At first I protest because we're out in public, but Nathan points out that we're completely alone. I comply and end up hugging his arm close to me. We walk farther down the trail, not focusing on anything besides the beautiful sights around us.

 _A few hours later…_

"We should go back there again!"

"Yeah, it is a great trail."

Our dinnertime conversation mainly consists of what we saw on the walk. We ended up turning around early, as Nathan said there was stinging nettles blocking the trail. Nathan tells me of a story from his childhood where he, his dad and his sister had to trudge through a stinging nettle field on their dayhike. Hearing things like that is why I'm never going backpacking.

Nathan and I finish up our dinner, clean the dishes and get in our respective beds. I still haven't found it in me to ask him to sleep next to me. I'm hoping he'll be the one to suggest it. While reading some more manga in bed, Nathan comes into my room and sits down next to me.

"Goodnight." He says, pulling me in for a small kiss. When he tries to get up afterwards, I hold onto his arm.

"Wait!"

"Hmm?" He raises an eyebrow.

"Stay here…"

Nathan hesitates before laying down next to me. I wrap my arms tightly around him. He rubs my head and gently plays with my hair.

"I love you." He says.

"I love you too." I say back.


	25. An Apology

Hello. Quite a few things have happened within the last 2-3 weeks, and I apologize for my lack of communication. Frankly, you guys deserve an explanation for the complete lack of chapters.

Now, the reason progress on the story has halted is because I have taken on another project. I have recently joined the Blue Dissonance Dev Team as a writer for the DDLC mod Doki Doki Blue Skies. The people on the team are awesome, and I enjoy working with them.

That, however, is not the only reason. School, Track & Field and other like things have really eaten up my free time, leaving me with barely enough time for writing compared to the past. This wouldn't have been a problem, but now that I'm working on a mod team, I simply don't have enough time for two writing projects.

Luckily, this is only a temporary problem. Track season is ending relatively soon, and while Finals are still on their way, I believe I will have enough time to dedicate to the story.

Thank you for your understanding and support. It really means a lot.

Oh yeah, and new chapter coming soon.


	26. Chapter 24: Rationalism

Chapter 24: Rationalism

I feel a tap on my shoulder, waking me up. I open my eyes to see Natsuki still crawled up next to me. She points to the ringing alarm clock on the nightstand.

"Turn it off, dummy…" She whispers tiredly.

I reach over and hit the snooze button, and lie in bed trying to convince myself to wake up. I rub my eyes, getting all the gunk out. _Where the hell does that stuff even come from, anyway?_

"Can we not get up?" Natsuki says as she snuggles up to me.

"I wish." I reply.

After sitting around in bed for a little bit, the alarm clock starts buzzing again, signaling for us to get moving. We reluctantly do so, and begin our usual daily routine.

Natsuki makes pancakes and I brew our coffee. We sit down next to each other on the couch and eat our breakfast silently. Natsuki is the first one to finish, so she gets the shower first. I sit around till it's my turn. We have a rule: You can only be in the shower for 10 minutes max. Of course, neither of us follow that rule.

Natsuki comes out of my room in her school uniform. She packs up all her stuff while I take my turn. Surprisingly, there's still hot water left. I wash and comb down my puffy brown hair and put my uniform on. Natsuki's waiting for me by the door when I come out. I put an arm around her and we start our commute to school.

Once we start seeing others students, Natsuki makes me let go off her. _Oh well,_ I think to myself. We make our way to school and arrive at our classroom. We exchange nervous glances outside the door. Neither of us want to meet Ben, but we really have no choice. I open the classroom doors.

"Oh, hey Nathan! Hey Natsuki!" Monika calls out. She rushes over clearly excited to see us. I can't help but smile, seeing her giddy like this.

"Hey Monika." I greet.

"Hi! You guys feeling better?"

"I'm here, aren't I?" Natsuki snaps defensively.

"Ahaha, guess you are. Anyways, good to see you guys again! The club was a bit boring without you there, Nathan~"

"Yeah, Yuri and Hansuke aren't exactly the most lively people."

By now, I've scanned the entire classroom. Ben isn't here, at least not yet. He tends to sit behind Natsuki, so I'll take his place for the time being. Natsuki sits in the top right most desk of the classroom. Monika sits next to her and I sit behind her. Mrs. Omo walks into the room and begins the lessons. Ben still hasn't showed up, which I'm not complaining about.

The lessons for the day are pretty simple. History, math, science, the usual stuff. The only thing that slightly holds my interest besides math is history. Mainly because it's interesting to see how these people think everything came to be. In a way, it reminds me of a course I took in university.

 **Flashback Begins:**

"Existential nihilism. Can anyone tell me what that means?"

The once loud and lively lecture hall now lies silent. Everyone's attention is on the professor at the front of the room. His name is Dr. Cameron Schulman, and he's the youngest professor on campus at only 32. He's a philosophist and teaches the class "Existentialism and Rationalism". I took the course because it looked interesting to me. That, and I needed another class like this for my psychology minor.

"Existential nihilism, put simply, is the outlook that an individual human or the entire human species has no purpose, no weight in the grand scale of the universe."

"Now, who agrees with this?"

A couple people raise their hands.

"That's fine, you can have that viewpoint. It makes sense, to be truthful. If the human mind is unable to comprehend the enormous size of the universe, than it seems reasonable that we have no effect

"But, is that really true? Well, you first have to decide what exactly humankind is looking for, striving for. What is the driving force of our species?"

One kid raises his hand.

"Knowledge?"

"Yes! Knowledge! That, is what pushes us forward. What makes us do what we do. We want to understand the smallest particles, we want to understand the largest astronomical phenomenon. We want to understand life itself."

"So when you wake up in the morning, know everything you're doing is in the pursuit of knowledge for mankind."

 **Flashback Ends:**

It was that lecture that got me through university. I always thought about it, always thought about how everything I was doing, no matter how hard, would have a purpose.

But now, it's different. I know how this reality works. I know how it came to be, and how it'll end. I know how large the universe is, and how small the basic building block of life is. I know everything there is to know about this world, so I really do have no meaning. There's no pursuit of knowledge, no driving force anymore. Existential nihilism has always lingered in the back of my mind, but now I truly believe it.

A crushing feeling of loneliness and despair descends upon me. I've truly wrapped my head around my situation, and I finally realize that this is all for nothing. I hold back a tear, but I see Monika looking at me concerningly. I take a couple of deep breaths and compose myself.

The rest of the day slogs on for what seems like an eternity. I can't stop thinking about, well, everything. end and we all head up to the clubroom together. When we get there, Monika pulls me outside the clubroom to talk to me.

"Hey, is everything alright?" She asks, concerned.

"Yeah, I'm fine."

"Nathan, please don't lie to me. I care about you, you know!"

"Monika, I appreciate the concern, but I'm just a little homesick. That's all."

"Okay...But, if you ever need someone to talk to, I'm here."

"Thanks Monika."

We both head back inside the clubroom. By now, everyone has arrived and is engaging in their own activities. Sayori and Hansuke are having a conversation about something at the front of the room. Yuri is reading in her usual seat, and Natsuki is lost in the closet.

"Hey Nathan," Monika says as we walk in. "Would you like to read with me?"

"Eh...okay."

"Yay!~ Sit right there, I'll go get the book."

Monika gestures towards a pair of desks in the middle of the room. I sit down in the desk on right, and Monika sits down next to me. We push our desks together and she puts the book in between the two desks.

"It's called Of Mice and Men."

"Ahh, we had to read that one at my old school."

"Oh really?" Monika says, slightly disappointed. "Do you want me to get another book?"

"Oh, no, it'll be fine. It's a great book. I'd be happy to reread it."

"Oh, okay!"

Monika looks relieved as I pick up the book and open it. We start reading the first chapter. All the details of the book slowly come back to me the further we get in the book. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Natsuki glaring at me. I can easily tell she's jealous, but there's nothing I can really do about that.

Monika and I continue reading. Once we get into the 3rd chapter, I realise I have to go to the bathroom.

"Hey, I'll be right back." I say to Monika as I stand up,

"Where are you going?"

"I'm going to the bathroom."

"Oh."

I quickly exit the classroom and make my way to the bathrooms. I do my business inside, and start washing my hands once I'm done.

The door next to me opens and in walk three figures with ski masks and hoodies on. Before I can process what's happening, one of them pushes me into the corner. I catch myself on the sink, but they've already formed a semi-circle, trapping me. I stand up straight as the closest one throws a right hook to my head. I counter with a spear hand block, hitting his wrist and shoulder at the same time. In one quick movement, I slide my right hand down his arm and chop his throat. While he's stunned, I grab his wrist and neck, kick my foot back, and drive my knee into his stomach. I push him back and he falls to the floor as the other two move closer. I put my guard up, prepared for a fight.

"What the hell's your problem?!" I shout.

"You." One of them replies.

"You think you're hot shit, huh?" The other one says as he steps closer.

"Think you're some hero? Guess what _saitei_ , you're not."

He pushes me back into the corner. My back against the wall, I counter by throwing a backfist at his head. It makes contact and he stumbles back. We exchange punches before I put a solid one in his stomach. His friend backs up to the door, covering the exit.

"Who the hell do you think you are?" I ask as I wipe some blood out of my mouth.

"My name?" He says as he stands up straight.

"They call me _The Todomeki._ "

"That's a stupid ass name." I insult.

"Oh yeah, wise guy?"

He unzips his hoodie and pulls out a handgun, pointing the barrel at my head.

"Say that again, to my face."

I put my hands up.

"Hey, hey, it doesn't gotta be-"

"Yeah that's right! I'm in fucking control! You're just my bitch, a goddamn dog!"

He points the gun in my direction, his finger on the trigger. I finally get a good look at him. He's smaller than me, about Yuri's height. Through the hole in his masks I see his eyes and a bit of his hair. I recognize him, but I don't say a word.

"Here the deal: You're gonna get the fuck out of my school and never come back, or you're dead. Understand?"

I nod my head.

"Good, now give me your fucking phone."

I reach into my pocket and hold out my phone. Before the gangster can grab it, I throw it at the floor, watching it smash into pieces.

"...You're a dumbass." He mocks.

I slowly walk over to the door. The gangster standing at the door gets out of my way as I approach him. They stay in the bathroom, watching me as I walk down the hall and to the first floor. I quickly head out of the school and run home.

About halfway there, I stop. I quickly look around, making sure no one followed me. Once I make sure everything's secure, I continue the trek home, reflecting on what just happened.

 _So, I just got jumped. Jeez, what am I going to do? Can I go to the police? Well, yeah, but I don't have evidence. Telling them somebody held me up at gunpoint won't get me anywhere. I need something more convincing._

I arrive at my apartment and walk inside. I see Natsuki's stuff laying around, and it gives me an idea. I lock the door, close the blinds, and grab a knife from the kitchen. Once I'm done with that, I dial Monika's number on the landline.

"Hello? Who is this?" Monika says as she picks up.

"Hey, it's Nathan. Listen, I'm in a bit of a situation and need your help."

"Umm, what's wrong?"

"It's complicated. Listen, you and Natsuki can't leave the clubroom till the day ends. Once it's over, I want you and Natsuki to come to my house. She knows the way."

"Nathan, you're scaring me…"

"I know, I know, but please, trust me."

"...Okay."

"Thank you. See you soon."

I hang up the phone and sit on the couch, exhausted, stressed and scared. I rehearse my explanation to the girls in my head while I wait. Around two hours later, I hear my doorbell ring. I slide the knife down my sleeve and hold the handle in my hand, clenching my fist to conceal it.

I walk over to the door slowly, making sure to make as little noise as possible.

"Nathan? It's us." Monika's voice calls out.

I breathe a sigh of relief.

"Coming."

I unlock the door and see Monika and Natsuki standing there. They both have a concerned look on their faces.

"Come in, quickly."

They follow me inside. I relock the door and lead them to the living room. Natsuki and Monika sit down on the couch. They both look scared and uncomfortable.

"Nathan...What's going on?" Monika asks.

"I got jumped."

Their eyes widen with surprise.

"You got _what?!_ " They say in unison.

"I got jumped. I go to the bathroom, and in walks in these three gangsters. Real tough guys, they try and circle me, trap me in the corner. I manage to mess one of them up, but then the main guy pulls a gun on me and tells me I'm dead next time I see him."

"Goodness, are you okay? Are you hurt?" Monika exclaims as she rushes over to me. She puts her hand on my shoulder and examines me for any bruises.

"I'm fine, but that's not the point. Natsuki…"

Natsuki looks at me with a curious expression.

"It was Ben."

They both gasp.

"Ben? Ben Sugimoto?" Monika questions. "That's the guy who pulled a gun on you?"

"Yeah, that's him. Turns out he's some sort of gangster."

"Well, I'm certainly not surprised."

Natsuki and I look at Monika, utterly confused.

"What?" we say in unison.

"Ben's a drug dealer. Some of my friends buy LSD from him. It doesn't surprise me that he's a gangster."

We all sit in an awkward silence before Monika finally speaks up.

"So, what are you going to do, Nathan?"

"I'm gonna go to the police, duh."

"But, I want you guys to come with me."

"What? Why?" Natsuki protests.

"The more people that say 'Yeah this guy's dangerous', the more inclined the police will be to take immediate action. If we all go and say Ben's a gun-wielding drug-dealing psychopath, they'll probably try and take him out sooner rather than later."

"I, I guess that makes sense…" Natsuki says.

"Yeah, I agree. Let's do it!" Monika says, determination present in her voice.

"Alright, let's get moving."

…..

The next couple hours are a blur to me. All the questioning, tests, and descriptions mesh together in my memory. By the time the police have everything they need, I'm ready for bed. _Judging by the looks on Monika and Natsuki's faces, I think they feel the same way._

We're all sitting in the lobby of the police station. Natsuki was just let out of the questioning rooms, and we're waiting to hear if they're gonna take action. A few minutes pass before the police chief comes out and starts speaking.

"We've reviewed all your claims, and have come to a conclusion."

Monika, Natsuki and I lean forwards in our chairs, eager to hear the news.

"Although you may not have much evidence, your stories do line up with the patterns of a criminal we've been following. We will send officers to the school in the morning to arrest Ben and bring him in for questioning."

"Now, if he truly _is_ dangerous, than you must not say a word about this until he's in police custody. Understand?"

"Yes sir." We all say in unison.

"Good, good. Well then, there's nothing left to discuss. Have a goodnight."

"You too, sir." I say as I stand up and head for the door. The girls follow me out.

"Hey, Nathan…." Monika starts once we're out of earshot of the officers.

"Yeah?"

"I...um, don't really feel safe spending the night alone…"

"Hm….yeah, I guess I can understand that. What do you want to do?"

"Maybe I can spend the night at your place?"

"Uh…"

I look at Natsuki, wanting her input. She just shrugs her shoulder at me. Seems like she doesn't know what to do in this situation either.

"...Well, if you _really_ don't feel safe, I guess you can."

Monika breathes a sigh of relief.

"Thankyouthankyouthankyou!" She exclaims as she wraps her arms around me. I lightly return the hug, enticing a scowl from Natsuki. We all walk home, making remarks about the past couple hours.

"Those chairs were _sooo_ uncomfortable." Natsuki complains.

"Not much better than the ones at school."

We all let out a chuckle at my joke.

"Eh, I don't think they're that bad…" Monika says. "You kinda get used to it after a while."

"Yeah, I guess."

"Oh, hey Natsuki…" Monika says.

"Yeah?"

"Why are you walking with us? Shouldn't you be going home?"

Natsuki and I exchange nervous glances as Monika stands expectantly.

"Ummm, due to family stuff, Natsuki's bunking with me temporarily."

Monika makes a face that I don't quite understand. It's a mix between shock, disappointment, anger, jealousy and other emotions.

"Oh...well, then I guess you guys are dating, right?"

"What? How'd you come to that?" Natsuki snaps.

"Am I wrong?"

There's a awkward silence between us before I finally pipe up.

"...No, you're not."

Monika looks at the ground, heartbroken. I scramble to try and save the situation.

"Well, I mean, it's no big deal. We're all friends, we're all club members, aren't we?"

The girls nod their heads slightly.

"Let's just have fun together and not worry about it. Now pick up the pace. I'm starving."

"Ooo, let's order sushi!" Natsuki chimes in excitedly.

"I'm down. Monika?"

"Sounds great!"

"Sweet."

We all walk back to my house. Once there, Natsuki and I finally change out of our school uniforms. _Monika, on the other hand…_

"Are you sure? I doubt it's that far."

"Please, Nathan, it's really no big deal. I don't want you going out this late at night just cause I don't feel like sleeping in my uniform."

"If you insist, Monika."

Once everyone is comfortable, I use the landline to call the nearest sushi place. I order a california roll, cause that's the only sushi I've ever eaten. Monika, as a vegetarian, gets the cucumber roll, and Natsuki gets a spicy shrimp tempura roll. While we wait for the food, we talk about school and things of the like.

"Did you guys do your research project yet?" Monika asks.

"I've done a bit of looking. I'm doing _The History of Manga_." Natsuki states proudly.

"Ah, cool! What about you, Nathan?"

"I haven't even started."

"What?! Nathan, it's due Friday!"

"I know, I know, but I'll be fine. I have a lot of experience procrastinating, I'm sure I'll be fine."

"You're an idiot." Natsuki remarks.

"Yep." I say back, jokingly. The girls laugh.

"Do you atleast know what you're doing it on?"

"Probably something to do with psychology."

"Ooo, you should do that valley-thing you were talking about when you joined!"

"The Uncanny Valley?"

"Yeah, that."

"Ehh, sure. Why not?"

The conversation continues on like this for the rest of the evening. Once it arrives, we eat our food in the living room, talking and laughing away. I learn a lot about Monika and Natsuki, them being fully fleshed out A.I now and whatnot. It was a great time.

….

"Alright, I think it's time we turn in for the night."

"Yeah, I'm getting kinda tired."

"So, Monika, you can have my bed. Natsuki, you can have the couch."

"Where are you gonna sleep, Nathan?" Monika asks.

"The floor."

"Are you sure? I don't want to kick you out of your own bed."

"Monika, you're my guest. I insist."

"Oh, alright…"

We all say our goodnights and head to sleep. Well, the girls do. My thoughts drift back to my "epiphany" earlier. It's a devastating feeling, not having a purpose in life. Yet, when I'm with the girls, I don't think like that. I surprisingly happy, despite everything that's happened, and I'm not sure why.

I don't quite understand my emotions right now. It's a first for me and it's scary and nerve racking. _But, it doesn't really matter, does it? I have no purpose, so my emotions don't really matter. I should just stop thinking about it and go to sleep…_

….

"C'mon dummy, wake up…"

I open my eyes and see Natsuki kneeled down next to me. I sit up in my makeshift bed, putting myself head level with Natsuki.

"Morning sweetheart." I say as I lightly pat her on the head. She lets out a small smile we both stand up.

"Where's Monika?" I ask.

I get an answer in the form of Monika swinging open my bedroom door.

"Good morning!" She happily greets.

"Morning." I greet back.

"What's for breakfast?"

"You've got a choice between waffles and cereal."

"Oh. Do you at least have coffee?"

"Yeah. Here, I'll show you how to use the machine."

"No need," Monika brags. "I'm very well experienced with coffee machines."

"Alright then, help yourself."

The morning continues as usual for Natsuki and I, just with Monika. Once all of us have made our breakfast and brewed our coffee, we sit down on the couch and watch some TV. Monika forces us to watch the morning news. I don't really mind, but Natsuki complains it's boring, which I can't necessarily argue. We still end up watching it, however.

"We've got about 10 's not a long walk from here to school." I say, glancing at the clock.

"I think we should get there earlier. You know, to meet the officers…"

"Ah, good idea. Let's get moving then."

We pack up our stuff and head out the door, beginning the trek to school. The sky is overcast today, and the little drops of dew on the grass along the sidewalk support the inference that it rained last night. Since we're out earlier than usual, there's no one else around. It's just us, all anxiously wondering what it'll be like once we arrive at the school.

 _Will the officers be there when we get there? Will Ben even be here today? Will they find evidence on him? Will he go peacefully? Will things get violent?_

Questions like this flood our minds as we continue walking. No one says a word, as we're all absorbed in our thoughts. Normally, I'd love a morning like this because of how peaceful everything is, but I'm too worried to enjoy it. _Besides, it'll all be gone one day and no one will be around to remember it. It doesn't really matter, does it?_

"Nathan?" Monika's voice interrupts.

"Huh? What?"

"We're here." Monika says as she motions to the gates.

"Oh, right…"

We all walk inside. To our surprise, we see two familiar looking police officers talking with one of the teachers. I give him a wave as we pass by, and he waves back. Natsuki, Monika and I all split up and head for our lockers. There's a few students in the halls already, and more coming inside. I quickly head to my classroom and when I get there Monika and Natsuki are already inside. We talk a little bit more as kids begin funneling in.

Out of nowhere, I hear loud, seemingly close shouting. I can't quite make out what they're saying, only that they're getting closer and closer. By the time everyone stops talking to listen, you can hear the stomping of their footsteps.

Suddenly, the classroom door swings open. Before I can comprehend who just walked in, they rush over to me and tackle me to the floor. I struggle to get to my feet as the figure continues to punch and grab me. When I finally get a good look at him, I realize it's Ben. I'm so shocked I let Ben throw a hook into my jaw. It knocks me back, stunning me, and I can see out of the corner of my eye Ben pulling something out of his pocket.

 _Holy shit…!_

He holds my head against the floor with one hand and holds the gun to my head with the other. Luckily, my arms and legs are free. I shove my hands in face the best I can in my position. While he's distracted, I flip myself over and land on my back, throwing him off balance. He falls down next to me, dropping the gun on the floor. I slide it across the ceramic tiles and back myself up against the nearest desk, waiting for his next move.

"STAY DOWN! STAY DOWN!"

I look to the doorway and see the two officers with their pistols drawn. They rush over to Ben, pinning him to the ground as they latch handcuffs around him. I rest my head on the desk, taking deep breaths.

 _I'm okay, I'm okay, I'm not dead. I don't wanna die….wait, doesn't it not matter? Why does it matter if I'm alive? I have no purpose, so why did I struggle? Why did I fight? Why did I want to stay alive when I know how useless I am?_

 _Was it just survival instinct, or does a subconscious part of my mind think I should live?_


End file.
